Abstract: Artificial gelatins containing higher proportions of methionine than are found in natural gelatin are made by thermal polymerization of methionine with various proportions of other .alpha.-amino acids, including some proportion of aspartic acid, glutamic acid or lysine. Artificial gelatins containing as much as 40 mole percent methionine can be obtained. Proportions in the polymer can be adjusted by control of proportions in the reaction mixture. Photographic silver halide emulsions containing these artificial gelatins and photographic films employing the emulsions are also disclosed.