This process, devised by the author, is a pleasing one in its results: it is exceedingly simple in its manipulatory details, and produces very charming positive pictures by the first application. The chromatype is founded on the above process of Mr. Ponton's:—

One drachm of sulphate of copper is dissolved in an ounce of distilled water, to which is added half an ounce of a saturated solution of bichromate of potash; this solution is applied to the surface of the paper, and, when dry, it is fit for use, and may be kept for any length of time without spoiling. When exposed to sunshine, the first change is to a dull brown, and if checked in this stage of the process we get a negative picture, but if the action of the light is continued, the browning gives way, and we have a positive yellow picture on a white ground. In either case, if the paper, when removed from the sunshine, is washed over with a solution of nitrate of silver, a very beautiful positive picture results. In practice, it will be found advantageous to allow the bleaching action to go on to some extent; the picture resulting from this will be clearer and more defined than that which is procured when the action is checked at the brown stage. To fix these pictures it is necessary to remove the nitrate of silver, which is done by washing in pure water: if the water contains any muriates the picture suffers, and long soaking in such water obliterates it, or if a few grains of common salt are added to the water, the apparent destruction is very rapid, The picture is, however, capable of restoration; all that is necessary being to expose it to sunshine for a quarter of an hour, when it revives; but instead of being of a red colour, it becomes lilac, the shades of colour depending upon the quantity of salt used to decompose the chromate of silver which forms the shadow parts of the picture.

Mr. Bingham remarks on this process, that if we substitute sulphate of nickel for the sulphate of copper, the paper is more sensitive, and the picture is more clearly developed by nitrate of silver.

The following modification of this process possesses some advantages. If to a solution of the sulphate of copper we add a solution of the neutral chromate of potash, a very copious brown precipitate falls, which is a true chromate of copper. If this precipitate, after being well washed, is added to water acidulated with sulphuric acid, it is dissolved, and a dichromatic solution is formed, which, when spread upon paper, is of a pure yellow. A very short exposure of the papers washed with this solution is quite sufficient to discharge all the yellow from the paper, and give it perfect whiteness. If an engraving is to be copied we proceed in the usual manner; and we may either bring out the picture by placing the paper in a solution of carbonate of soda or potash, by which all the shadows are represented by the chromate of copper, or by washing the paper with nitrate of silver. It may sometimes happen that, owing to deficient light, the photograph is darkened all over when the silver is applied: this colour, by keeping, is gradually removed, and the picture comes out clear and sharp.

If the chromate of copper is dissolved in ammonia, a beautiful green solution results, and if applied to paper acts similarly to those just described.

The chromatype pictures, under certain conditions, afford a beautiful example of the changes which take place, slowly, in the dark, from the combined operations of the materials employed.

If we take a chromatype picture after it has been developed by the agency of either nitrate of silver, or of mercury, and place it aside in the dark, it will be found, after a few weeks, to have darkened considerably both in the lights and shadows. This darkening slowly increases, until eventually the picture is obliterated beneath a film of metallic silver or mercury; but, while the picture has been fading out on one side, it has been developing itself on the other, and a very pleasing image is seen on the back. After some considerable time the metal on the front gives way again, the paper slowly whitens, and eventually the image is presented on both sides of the paper of equal intensity, in a good neutral tint upon a grey ground. These results, it will be remembered, are of a very similar character to those already described as peculiar to the amphitype process of Sir John Herschel.