The gum bichromate process

The Gum Bichromate Process is an investigation and exploration of a most primitive, difficult, and yet versatile photographic technique. From historical study of its origins and the discoveries through which the gum process evolved, the very definition of photography as an art form is examined. The gum process is interactive and manipulable, a fundamental contrast to precisely representational traditional processes. The pictorialists and their movement are studied and the creativity the gum process affords is explored. The process' usefulness in contemporary photography is then examined through the viewing of several modern photographers' work. Next, the technical procedures of the process are explained in a step by step manner to illustrate the complexities and versatility of the gum process. Only through this thorough examination can the reader appreciate the difficulty of using this process optimally to print three color photographs with any degree of clarity and accuracy. In conclusion, the works of the author are presented.