Zimmerman albumen question.

[false_Aesthetic]

Hey,

Has anyone done the Zimmerman matte albumen process?

I mixed some up this past weekend and coated a bunch of paper.

I went back to coat some more yesterday and found that the tapioca starch had fallen out of suspension (like I expected it to). I figured I should just shake up the albumen to re-suspend the starch.

Unfortunately, no matter how much I shook the albumen the tapioca didn't seem to distribute itself evenly in the albumen. Instead it ended up looking a little like miso soup when it sits for a few minutes.

Kind've like this: http://www.tsibog.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/miso-soup.JPG

Any idea of this is an issue when coating paper? I guess my concern is about how the "blotchyness" absorb the sensitizing solution later on.

Thanks

[Dcohio]

I have never tried any albumen process but I have found a wealth of info on bostick and sullivan. They have a forum for alt. Processes with one of them being albumen. There will probally be someone there that can help you out. The forum was a great help when I began thinking of trying carbon printing. Still suck at carbon but I got 90% of my answers to questions just reading the old posts.
Doug

[imagedowser]

What is the Zimmerman matte albumin process? I heard Zoe is pretty careful about divulging her methods .... never heard about the use of tapioca, is it like arrowroot? Thanks for sharing, Bill

[D. Bryant]

What is the Zimmerman matte albumin process? I heard Zoe is pretty careful about divulging her methods .... never heard about the use of tapioca, is it like arrowroot? Thanks for sharing, Bill

Yes. Making your own starch is essentially a feel good process and for consistency sake starch should be purchased from a reliable source, since it is inexpensive.

A bit like making ones own casein from milk. It can be done but is inexpensive enough to purchase in relatively small quantities at reasonable costs at a high purity level.

[false_Aesthetic]

I spoke to Zoe at Thanksgiving last year. I asked her about her process. She directed me to the Christopher James book on alt process. It's outlined there. I'd post it but I'm sure someone on the forum would object for me posting something ripped from a book.

Zoe might have a different method now but from what I've seen the stuff thats published works well.

[Jimi]

The chapter on Albumen is available from Christopher James own website, see http://www.christopherjames-studio.com/build/thebooksample.html