Bitumen of Judea

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Bitumen of Judea
The naturally occurring asphalt known as Bitumen of Judea or Syrian asphalt,
[1]
put to many uses since ancient
times, is now perhaps best known as the light-sensitive material in what is widely accepted as the first complete
photographic process, i.e., one capable of producing durable light-fast results. The technique was developed by
French scientist and inventor Nicphore Nipce in the 1820s. In 1826 or 1827, he applied a thin coating of the
tar-like material to a pewter plate and took a picture of parts of the buildings and surrounding countryside of his
estate, producing what is usually described as the first photograph. More accurately, it is the oldest known surviving
camera photograph. The plate had to be exposed in the camera for at least eight hours and possibly for several days.
The bitumen, initially soluble in spirits and oils, was hardened and made insoluble (probably polymerized) in the
brightest areas of the image. The unhardened part was then rinsed away with a solvent.
[2][3][4]
The bitumen used by Nipce actually came from a mine in France, not from Judea.
Nipce's primary objective was a photoengraving or photolithography process, and bitumen, superbly resistant to
strong acids, was in fact later widely used as a photoresist in making printing plates for mechanical printing
processes. The surface of a zinc or other metal plate was coated, exposed, developed with a solvent that laid bare the
unexposed areas, then etched in an acid bath, producing the required surface relief.
[5]
References
[1] History of Polymeric Composites, edited by Raymond Benedict Seymour, Rudolph D. Deanin, p319 (http:/ / books. google. co. uk/
books?id=cVHBqhdIEisC& pg=PA319#v=onepage& q& f=false)
[2] Nipce Museum history pages (http:/ / www. niepce.org/ pagus/ pagus-inv. html)
[3] The First Photograph (Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin) (http:/ / www. hrc. utexas. edu/ exhibitions/ permanent/ wfp/ )
[4] [4] Hirsch, Robert. Seizing the Light: A History of Photography. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000. Print.
[5] [5] Beaumont Newhall, "The History of Photography," 2001, p 14. ISBN 0-87070-381-1
Article Sources and Contributors
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Article Sources and Contributors
Bitumen of Judea Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=556749047 Contributors: AVarchaeologist, Cronholm144, Db0255, EastTN, Fru1tbat, Hoary, Howcheng, Matthew
Fennell, Nv8200p, Oncenawhile, The Anome, 14 anonymous edits
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