fotoplaatide

Fotoplaatide, often translated as photographic plates, were an early form of photographic medium used from the mid-19th century until the early 20th century. They consisted of a glass plate coated with a light-sensitive emulsion, typically containing silver halide crystals suspended in gelatin or albumen. When exposed to light in a camera, these silver halide crystals underwent a chemical change, forming a latent image that could then be developed into a visible photograph.

These plates were a significant advancement over earlier daguerreotypes and calotypes, offering sharper images and the ability to produce multiple positive prints from a single negative. They were widely used for portraiture, landscape photography, scientific documentation, and astronomical observations. The glass base provided a rigid and stable support for the emulsion, contributing to the longevity and detail of the resulting images.

However, fotoplaatide had several drawbacks. They were relatively heavy, fragile, and cumbersome to handle. The emulsion was sensitive to light, requiring darkroom conditions for development and processing, which was a slow and meticulous procedure. The discovery and widespread adoption of flexible film, such as celluloid, eventually led to the decline of fotoplaatide in favor of more convenient and portable photographic materials. Despite their eventual obsolescence, many historical fotoplaatide collections survive today, offering invaluable insights into the past.