A
darkroom is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of
light sensitive photographic materials, including
photographic film and
photographic paper. Darkrooms have been created and used since the inception of photography in the early 19th century. Darkrooms have many various manifestations, from the elaborate space used by
Ansel Adams to a retooled ambulance wagon used by
Timothy H. O'Sullivan. From the initial development to the creation of prints, the darkroom process allows complete control over the medium.