50 to 60 year old negatives

Rich Ullsmith · Dec 23, 2021

Just acquired a trove of old negatives, 35mm. Some good stuff is on them, at a glance.

They have not been neglected per se, but they did come to me wrapped carefully in toilet paper.

On a few strips, in some areas, there are signs of insufficient fixing. Meaning I think they are picking up sulfur. Not much, but a little.

Question: is there any reason not to run the whole lot through a tf-4 fixer bath? Then wash and photoflo, dry.

I am inclined to do this, absent any strong reservations.

If it matters, some are safety film, most are TX.

Any perspectives on this are appreciated.

wiltw · Dec 24, 2021

There are a number of articles which mention success in putting old negative back into fixer for the prescribed usual fix time, then washing and drying film per usual procedure.

Down Under · Dec 24, 2021

See what Henry Wilhelm has to say about this. I recommend you read up on his site before you do any fixing.

Old negatives are fragile and easily destroyed. You may want to consider scanning them to digital files before you refix them.

You say some are safety film. What are the others? Not nitrate film, I hope. I recall reading somewhere that film manufacturers did make nitrate base film until about 1950, and possibly later. Dangerous stuff, nitrate.

I also have several hundred old family negatives to be dealt with over the holiday period about to begin. I will be reading up on what HW wrote before I do anything to the originals, but if it all turns into a disaster, at least I'll have the digital files.

As much as I dislike scanning negatives, to me it's a must.

wiltw · Dec 24, 2021

ozmoose said:
See what Henry Wilhelm has to say about this. I recommend you read up on his site before you do any fixing.

Henry Wilhelm's true expertise in more in the area of color images, although he does have information about B&W print permanence. I do not know that he has made any statement on negatives. His main opus is
The Permanence and Care of Color Photographs: Traditional and Digital Color Prints, Color Negatives, Slides, and Motion Pictures, published in 1993.

Besk · Dec 24, 2021

You may want to investigate what Kodak says - either current recommendations or past printed.
I don't recall Kodak ever mentioning best practices concerning old "found" negatives. As for me I would copy and then re-fix carefully at no more than 68F.

JPD · Dec 24, 2021

Rich Ullsmith said:
On a few strips, in some areas, there are signs of insufficient fixing. Meaning I think they are picking up sulfur. Not much, but a little.

Silver can still react with sulfur even if properly fixed. That's what prints do in sulfur toners. Refixing will not help.

It is possible that a silver stabiliser like Adostab could work to protect the negatives, but I've heard of stains developing after using it with older prints.

Scan the negatives, and maybe also make darkroom prints of the best ones (for prints with the best natural grain, because scanning can enlarge the grain due to grain aliasing) before experimenting with chemicals (if you decide to try).

Paul Howell · Dec 24, 2021

Refixing the negatives will prevent addtional damage, as noted above will not restore the damage already done. I have a vague memory of an article in an old popular or modern photo mag, must have been in the 70s. As I recall the author who inherited his parents negatives dating back to the 20s and 30 were showing sings of not being properly fixed, he decided on refixing in a diluted standard fixer, don't remember the dilution. The authors thinking was that as the negatives had been fixed and only a small amount of silver was present he did need as strong a fix with less likelihood of bleaching the negative. He tested for residue fixer after a wash, then treated with selenium toner.

If it were me, I would make contact sheets, print what you like, then scan, then experiment with a strip of negatives that you did not think worth printing, print a reference print, refix, wash, use selenium toner wash and dry and reprint to see if there has been any significant changes in tone. If not then refix the lot.

Tel · Dec 24, 2021

I've recently scanned some negs I shot back in the '60s. I didn't do anything to them and (though a few were a bit thin) they scanned well. My first thought is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". (Edit: pun actually NOT intended...)

Rich Ullsmith · Dec 24, 2021

There are more than a few that don't appear to have value, I can test. I assume if there are adverse effects they will appear quickly. I do not know if hardener had been used.

mshchem · Dec 24, 2021

I would just find a couple strips that don't matter and try refixing one, and rewashing one. If these smell or look like sulfur it may be do to inadequate washing. Kodak published books about caring for stuff like this back in the 20th century, available on Ebay.

50 to 60 year old negatives

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