PONTON

Mungo (only son of John Ponton, farmer). b. Balgreen, near Edinburgh 23 Nov. 1802; admitted writer to the signet 8 Dec. 1825; a founder of National bank of Scotland 21 March 1825, secretary 1825–46; communicated to the Society of arts for Scotland 29 May 1839 a simple method of preparing paper for photographic drawing in which the use of any salt of silver is dispensed with, in this paper he announced the discovery that the action of sunlight renders bichromate of pota ium insoluble, a discovery which forms the basis of nearly all the photo-mechanical proce es now in use; F.R.S. Edinb. 1834; author of The sanctuary, its le ons and worship 1849; The material universe, its vastne and durability 1863; Earthquakes and volcanoes 1868, 2 ed. 1888; The beginning, its when and its how 1871; Glimpses of the future life 1873; Songs of the soul 1877; The freedom of the truth 1878. d. Clifton 3 Aug. 1880. H. B. Pritchard’s Year book of photography for 1882 , portrait ; Photographic News 20 Aug. 1880 pp. 402–3.