P.H. Emerson and 'Marsh Leaves'

Photo-polymer etching is a digital version, not an equivalent, of Photogravure.  It uses light-sensitive plate and digital positives printed on acetate, instead of the complicated and skilled use of aquatinted copper plate, film positives and a coating of light-sensitive gelatine. 

Photo-polymer Etching is still fairly complicated, and definitely not a quick fix. Think very carefully about the images you want to work with, preferably your own photographs, and why you want to recreate them in photo-etching.  To get good results, you may have to make several test-strips of different exposures, and play around with your image in Photoshop to get the best acetate: there are lots of variables, not only in contrast and tone, but in using effects and layers to alter the image. Then all you have to do is to print them really perfectly.

When I was planning teaching the process, I thought how good it would be to show some examples of original photo-gravures, but any reproductions of them, on this blog, or in books, would make them look like photographs, see above. I needed to get hold of the real thing. Years ago I was routing about in the library and came across a book with original photo-gravures, but couldn't remember the title or author, only that some of the prints were of marshes.  Not a lot to go on, but while researching I came across P.H. Emerson's book, "Marsh Leaves", looked it up on the library catalogue, and there it was, the book I saw all that time ago.  

There are 3 books by Emerson, all in the special collection, all too fragile and rare to be on the shelves, but available to look at in the library if you request them.  This is a fantastic treat, do go and look at them, but handle with care.  If you take a magnifying glass with you, you can see how the image is made up, the grain of the aquatint on the copper plate, and how thin and delicate the printing ink is.  It's hard to believe that these prints are etchings and not photographs.  

There was an exhibition of Emerson's work at the National Museum of Photography in Bradford in 2007, and the website is still active, with podcasts that will tell you more about the photographer. Listen to "The Gravure Print" for more about reproducing images in print and why photo-gravure was so innovative,  and "Marsh Leaves", which narrates some of the beautifully written text.