Silver is electrolytically recovered from photographic solutons, such as spent hypo, by feeding such a solution to a precollecting or measuring vessel where the solution collects until a predetermined volume has been received, at which time it is automatically dispensed, by a self-triggering siphon, into an electrolysis chamber of larger volume than the pre-collecting vessel and direct current is automatically turned on for a predetermined flow between an anode and a cathode in the chamber to plate out the silver on the cathode. An agitator, preferably a magnetic agitator, is also automatically energized to keep the solution homogeneously mixed during electrolysis, for maximum silver recovery efficiency.