Agfa photo-paper blast from the past!

[joho]

I am looking to find a paper that gives this results -
photo was made on Agfa brovira-or Portiga Rapid [?]
the film was FP4-in ID-11 ____DATE [1972]

 

[DREW WILEY]

Portriga was unique. There's no current equivalent. I was one of those classic graded papers which disappeared once cadmium was banned from the emulsions. But I have simulated some of the "feel" of Portriga highlights using Ilford MGWT in combination with subtle pinkish sulfide toning. But the greenishness of the dark tones in actual Portriga would be hard to preserve that way. Brovira was a neutral black graded paper.

 

[joho]

..."once cadmium was banned from the emulsions"... how was cadmium used ????

 

[Peter Schrager]

Foma 132 glossy or matte is a killer paper...can't we just learn to love what we actually have....

 

[DREW WILEY]

Trace amounts of cadmium were allegedly the secret sauce to both the original Oriental Seagull G and Portriga emulsions. Once that ingredient got banned, these papers were never the same. The ban itself, and its timing, is well documented. Oriental had to comply because so much of its paper was being shipped to Europe, just like how the ban on thorium affected lens glass manufacture. Cadmium was soon highly restricted in the US as well (but ironically, not in batteries, which use far more of it). But specific emulsion formulas were well guarded secrets; and in that respect, all that many of us have to go on is the most probable rumors of the era.

 

[DREW WILEY]

The issue with past Portriga or current Foma retro-look products, or even my multi-toned MGWT prints, is how much longer will my remaining little bottles of SpotTone olive shade hold out? It doesn't take much in comparison to the "neutral black" and "selenium brown" shades, but I'd hate to be without it.

 

[koraks]

can't we just learn to love what we actually have....

Quite so.

Also, I'd put up for consideration that the magic of a photo is maybe 0.5% in the choice of paper. Why fuss over that tiny aspect if you can control the other 99.5%?

 

[Carnie Bob]

Portriga was unique. There's no current equivalent. I was one of those classic graded papers which disappeared once cadmium was banned from the emulsions. But I have simulated some of the "feel" of Portriga highlights using Ilford MGWT in combination with subtle pinkish sulfide toning. But the greenishness of the dark tones in actual Portriga would be hard to preserve that way. Brovira was a neutral black graded paper.

I believe nick b from GEH knows how to make Portriga emulsion, I saw samples there years ago and I think he still coats paper for himself.