Editing Collodion process (section)

==Search for a dry collodion process==

The extreme inconvenience of exposing wet collodion in the field led to many attempts to develop a ''dry'' collodion process, which could be exposed and developed sometime after coating. A large number of methods were tried, though none were ever found to be truly practical and consistent in operation. Well-known scientists such as [[Joseph Sidebotham]], [[Richard Kennett]], Major Russell, and [[Frederick Charles Luther Wratten]] attempted but never met with good results.{{cn|date=September 2016}}

Typically, methods involved coating or mixing the collodion with a substance that prevented it from drying quickly. As long as the collodion remained at least partially wet, it retained some of its sensitivity. Common processes involved chemicals such as [[glycerin]], [[magnesium nitrate]], [[tannic acid]] and [[albumen]]. Others involved more unlikely substances, such as tea, coffee, honey, beer, and seemingly unending combinations thereof.{{cn|date=September 2016}}

Many methods worked to an extent; they allowed the plate to be exposed hours, or even days, after coating. They all possessed the chief disadvantage, that they rendered the plate extremely slowly. An image could require anywhere from three to ten times more exposure on a dry plate than on a wet plate.{{cn|date=September 2016}}