A Pioneer Who Shaped Modern Photography
Exploring the life and contributions of a 19th century visionary who revolutionized photographic technology
Explore His LegacyIn the autumn of 1882, the scientific and photographic communities were struck by a profound sense of loss. Dr. Désiré Charles Emanuel van Monckhoven, a towering figure in the field, had died on his forty-eighth birthday. As one contemporary obituary noted, his passing was "to be the more regretted in that he was taken from his many friends when almost in the prime of life."1
In a life that spanned less than five decades, van Monckhoven emerged as one of the 19th century's most active and versatile photographic researchers. He was a rare combination of chemist, physicist, inventor, author, and industrialist whose work fundamentally advanced the art and science of photography3 5 .
Though the obituary in Nature acknowledged that "we cannot point to any great discovery or to any startling inventions he made," it celebrated him as one of "those men who are so useful to science, giving, as it were, the decorations to the more solid building."1 This modest assessment belies the profound impact of his contributions. From his revolutionary enlarging apparatus to his improvements in photographic chemistry, van Monckhoven's work helped transform photography from an esoteric craft to an accessible and reproducible medium.
Born in Ghent, Belgium, on September 25, 1834, van Monckhoven displayed remarkable scientific talent from a young age5 .
Began his photographic career as a young collaborator of Louis Jacobsens, producing views of Ghent around 18505 .
At age 18, he published his "Traité Général de Photographie," which achieved "unparalleled success"5 .
Born in Ghent, Belgium, on September 25, 1834, van Monckhoven displayed remarkable scientific precocity5 . He began his multifaceted photographic career as a young collaborator of Louis Jacobsens, producing views of Ghent around 18505 . His early training under Charles D'Hoy provided the foundation for what would become an extraordinary career of innovation5 .
At the remarkably young age of 18, he published his "Traité Général de Photographie," a work that would achieve "unparalleled success" in the French-speaking world5 . The treatise's popularity was such that new editions were called for almost annually, with the work being republished eight times up until 1889 and translated into English, German, Italian, and Russian1 5 . This early achievement established van Monckhoven not merely as a technician, but as a leading voice capable of synthesizing and explaining complex photographic principles to a growing audience of enthusiasts.
Van Monckhoven's genius manifested across multiple domains of photography, from optical engineering to chemical processes. His innovations collectively addressed many of the significant limitations photographers faced in his day.
Among his most significant inventions was his improvements to the solar enlarging apparatus in 1864, building upon David Acheson Woodward's original design3 7 .
This device used sunlight projected through a negative and focused through lenses to create enlarged prints, a revolutionary capability at a time when contact printing was the primary means of producing photographs5 7 . His version, known as the "appareil solar dialytique," represented a major step forward in making enlargement technology more accessible and effective5 .
Van Monckhoven's contributions to photographic chemistry were equally profound. His research trajectory reveals a consistent pattern of identifying limitations in existing processes and developing practical solutions:
Published "Traité de photographie sur collodion" - Established his reputation as a leading authority in photographic technology.
Improved the solar enlarging apparatus - Made photographic enlargements more practical and accessible.
Developed a dry collodion process - Reduced the necessity for immediate darkroom work after exposure.
Researched and improved carbon printing - Established factories for carbon tissue production.
Discovered ammonia ripening of gelatin-bromide emulsions - Significantly improved emulsion sensitivity and tonal range.
To understand van Monckhoven's contributions, it is essential to examine the core photographic process that he helped perfect and explain – the wet collodion process. In his "A Popular Treatise on Photography," he provided detailed, step-by-step instructions that made this complex technique accessible to countless photographers4 .
The wet collodion process, which van Monckhoven described with exceptional clarity, involved a precise sequence of steps4 6 :
Gun-cotton (pyroxyline) was dissolved in a mixture of alcohol and ether to create collodion. Iodized compounds were added to this solution.
The iodized collodion was poured onto a meticulously cleaned glass plate, flowing it across the surface to ensure an even coating.
The plate was immersed in a silver nitrate solution, converting iodide compounds into iodide of silver – the light-sensitive material.
The sensitized plate was transferred to a light-proof holder and exposed in the camera for ten to twenty seconds.
The plate was developed using a solution such as gallic acid. "In a few seconds the image appears as a negative."4
The developed image was fixed using potassium cyanide or hyposulphite of soda, then washed in water and dried.
| Reagent | Chemical Composition | Function in the Process |
|---|---|---|
| Collodion | Pyroxyline (gun-cotton) dissolved in ether and alcohol | Forms the transparent film that holds the light-sensitive compounds on the glass plate |
| Silver Nitrate | AgNO₃ | Sensitizing agent that reacts with iodides to form light-sensitive iodide of silver |
| Potassium Iodide | KI | Provides iodide ions to form silver iodide within the collodion matrix |
| Gallic Acid | C₆H₂(OH)₃COOH | Developing agent that reduces exposed silver iodide to metallic silver |
| Hyposulphite of Soda | Na₂S₂O₃·5H₂O (sodium thiosulfate) | Fixing agent that removes unexposed silver iodide, rendering the image permanent |
Van Monckhoven's career reflected a remarkable synthesis of pure science and commercial application. After establishing himself in Vienna from 1867-1870, where he operated a portrait studio with Emil Rabending, he returned to Ghent and established a factory for producing carbon papers and gelatin emulsions5 . His industrial work demonstrated his commitment to making photographic advances practically available to working photographers.
His research continued until his final days. In 1882, the same year as his death, he was manufacturing paper for carbon prints on an industrial scale, producing 10,000 rolls that year alone5 .
Just before his sudden death from natural causes, he claimed to have "photographed a long spark," suggesting his inquisitive mind remained active to the end5 .
Through his writings, translations, and commercial enterprises, he helped democratize photographic knowledge and materials.
He served as a vital bridge between scientific principles and their practical application by artists and commercial practitioners.
His contributions are memorialized in his hometown of Ghent, where a street and elementary school bear his name.
Today, his work lives on in the fundamental processes that would define photography for more than a century after his passing. The late Dr. Van Monckhoven may not have been credited with a single revolutionary discovery, but through his persistent refinement, clarification, and innovation, he helped build the very foundation of modern photographic technology.