History Question

[Ulophot]

The esoteric question occurred to me today, "Why do we call it black-and-white photography?" It's continuous tone. Who started it? Monochrome or grayscale is more suitable, the first one more encompassing, but both may have been predated by black and white. In today's software, the distinction is often made between B&W (only) and grayscale (continuous).

The closest I could come to an answer is that film companies began distinguishing B&W film when color arrived on the commercial scene, as early as the 1930s, though I found photos of '40s boxes of Verichrome (an ironic name) without any reference to black and white.

Anyone know?

[BrianShaw]

Don't know for certain but I'd venture a guess that the term started nnot long after the introduction of color film... early 1950's, perhaps.

In 1930 and early 1940's literature (and probably earlier too), photographic materials were described in terms of panchromatic, orthochromatic, and physical formats such as film, plates, roll sizes and dimensions. In the early 1950's, Weston described using the Westnon II meter with film (monochromatic but without the term black-and-white) and had additional description of use with color film.

In motion picture there were color movies much earlier but Technicolor was basically a B&W color separation process so distinguishing between that and what we know as color fim today might not have been necessary.

[Pieter]

Possibly because in painting, one uses just those pigments to produce a grayscale image. Or press printing where it is black ink on white paper.

[jnantz]

it might have had to do with Beaumont Newhall

[Robert Opheim]

Why do we call film photography "analog" and not always call the newer process "digital photography"? Phillip, Brian, Pieter, and Jnantz, I think you are all correct - as language changes over time - and it becomes the new meaning. (Dye Transfer is also black and white process used before color film that combines three B and W images to crate a color image.)

[BrianShaw]

Cyanotype is also continuous tone monochromatic, but blue rather than black.

[jnantz]

Cyanotype is also continuous tone monochromatic, but blue rather than black.

but I think cyanotypes were always called cyanotypes, a name coined by Hershel, the inventor of the process. and I am now thinking further back than BN ...
that the term black and white might have been coined by Fox Talbot in the book pencil of nature, but I do not know for sure, I don't have a copy of the book,
or further back when niepce invented photography itself.

[BrianShaw]

but I think cyanotypes were always called cyanotypes, a name coined by Hershel, the inventor of the process. and I am now thinking further back than BN ...
that the term black and white might have been coined by Fox Talbot in the book pencil of nature, but I do not know for sure, I don't have a copy of the book,
or further back when niepce invented photography itself.

You're a genius! While the exact term "black and white" was not used by Fox Talbot, he very nearly said so regarding Plate XX, Lace, in The Pencil of Nature

As this is the first example of a negative image that has been introduced into this work, it may be necessary to explain, in a few words, what is meant by that expression, and wherein the difference consists.

The ordinary effect of light upon white sensitive paper is to blacken it. If therefore any object, as a leaf for instance, be laid upon the paper, this, by intercepting the action of the light, preserves the whiteness of the paper beneath it, and accordingly when it is removed there appears the form or shadow of the leaf marked out in white upon the blackened paper; and since shadows are usually dark, and this is the reverse, it is called in the language of photography a negative image.

This is exemplified by the lace depicted in this plate; each copy of it being an original or negative image: that is to say, directly taken from the lace itself. Now, if instead of copying the lace we were to copy one of these negative images of it, the result would be a positive image of the lace: that is to say, the lace would be represented black upon a white ground. But in this secondary or positive image the representation of the small delicate threads which compose the lace would not be quite so sharp and distinct, owing to its not being taken directly from the original. In taking views of buildings, statues, portraits, &c. it is necessary to obtain a positive image, because the negative images of such objects are hardly intelligible, substituting light for shade, and vice versa.

And regarding cyanotypes... yes, they were always called cyanotype (except in technical drawings where the term 'blueprint' was used or in some hobbiest lingo, sunprints). My point was not what they are called but that they, like B&W, are also monochromatic and continuous tone. Perhaps a pedantic comment on my part...

[Alan Townsend]

Interesting question that I've always wondered about. My take is that "black and white" comes from newspapers, since as we all know they are black and white but red all over. Very old joke. Newspaper and printing ARE black OR white. That's my guess.

I don't think monochrome is good word, because there can be many color choices. With carbon prints, you can make any color combination like red and yellow, blue and green, sepia and white, VanDyke and white, etc., etc., etc. Mono chrome would mean single color, but there can be two colors, the background paper tint color, and then the gelatin layer color, which can be whatever you want.

My favorite label is luminance photography, since the intensity or brightness, which can be measured in lumens is what the film records. Prints can be made in any colors. Shades of Grey photography is another that I like, but I like shades of sepia better. Complicated? I also dislike the term Lomography. Too close to lumography. What is Lomography anyway. Lomo drawing? What is Lomo? And worst yet, why does this stupic spell checker force me to capitalize Lomography and not Photography?

Another label I don't like is "digital photography", which I think is incorrect. The word photography means "light drawing". There is no drawing with digital. I think digital photography should be called digital imaging, or digital pictures, or something along those lines. Digital negatives complicate everything even more. An alternate process print made by a digital negative is a photographic print, but didn't need to be, since they could make an inkjet print in any colors they wanted that looked like any alternate process would without any chemistry at all. So what's the point of that?

So much to ponder on nomenclature.

[phdgent]

I think it has to do with the grey tones, all evolving between black and white
Anyway, a 'dynamic' B&W print should hold, besides as much as aesthetically acceptable grey tones, black and white tones too, but this is a very personal opinion...