snowdonia

article on the process of photochrom: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photochrom "A litho stone is coated with a thin layer of purified bitumen dissolved in benzene. A reversed half-tone negative is then pressed against this light-sensitive coating and an exposure in daylight made (taking from 10–30 minutes in summer, to several hours in winter). The bitumen hardens and becomes resistant to normal solvents in proportion to the light. The coating is then washed in turpentine solutions, removing the unhardened bitumen. It is then retouched in the tonal scale of the chosen color to strengthen or soften the tones as required. Each tint needs a separate stone bearing the appropriate retouched image, and prints are usually produced by at least six, and more commonly from 10 to 15 tint stones.[4]"

...like a scene from the wild west!

A great pic - one of the few of the summit area that's more or less correct date-wise!

This is a supreme bit of archive, and this shot is absolutely not like any other of the milliions of photos that have ever been taken from and of the summit of Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa). This scene is also astonishing in giving no idea that it was taken on the summit of one of Britain's best known higher peaks, and it looks like a nice day up there too (not many of those per year!). Perhaps the scene pre-dates the Snowdon Railway (1896) or were these men helping to build it when the photo was taken?

Bedford said it was 1880. The porch on the right (as well as the height of the cairn) clearly show its a pre-SMR shot. Practically all the Victorian shots of Snowdon summit were taken on nice days!

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/57398036@N02] OK fine about 1880, but would love to know how the height of the cairn and porch on the right indicate that the SMR didn't exist when the photo was taken. I must be missing something obvious.

article on the process of photochrom: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photochrom "A litho stone is coated with a thin layer of purified bitumen dissolved in benzene. A reversed half-tone negative is then pressed against this light-sensitive coating and an exposure in daylight made (taking from 10–30 minutes in summer, to several hours in winter). The bitumen hardens and becomes resistant to normal solvents in proportion to the light. The coating is then washed in turpentine solutions, removing the unhardened bitumen. It is then retouched in the tonal scale of the chosen color to strengthen or soften the tones as required. Each tint needs a separate stone bearing the appropriate retouched image, and prints are usually produced by at least six, and more commonly from 10 to 15 tint stones.[4]"