ANSCO developers

Paul Howell · Nov 24, 2006

I bought a box of Ansco chemistry off the internet, the cans were packed in magazines pages dated 1954. I have a number of quart sizes cans of Normadol, and gallon sizes of Permadol, and D 45. The Normadol cans have keys for opening, but the gallon size look like paint cans with a pry open lid so I dont know how well any of this has held up over the past 1/2 century. I also have some foil packets of Pinakrytol Green DeSensitiation mix for use when developing by inpection.

Any information these products?

Mark Layne · Nov 24, 2006

Paul Howell said:
I bought a box of Ansco chemistry off the internet, the cans were packed in magazines pages dated 1954. I have a number of quart sizes cans of Normadol, and gallon sizes of Permadol, and D 45. The Normadol cans have keys for opening, but the gallon size look like paint cans with a pry open lid so I dont know how well any of this has held up over the past 1/2 century. I also have some foil packets of Pinakrytol Green DeSensitiation mix for use when developing by inpection.

Any information these products?

To add to this I have a tin of Ansco ARDOL which I have not been ablre to identify.
Mark

Jim Noel · Nov 24, 2006

The only way to find out is to expose some film, open the cans and give them a try.

If my memory is correct, Ardol was Ansco's name for amidol.

Ed Sukach · Nov 25, 2006

The only reference I could find for "Ardol" was, "Standard developer for warm-tone papers".

There were two "desensitizers", pinakryptol green and yellow - when added to the developer (? not sure if they were added to the developer or there was a separate desenstizing bath) the sensitivity of panchromatic film during development to ALL wavelengths of light was reduced significantly, allowing development by inspection, using ordinary safelight illumination.

Jerevan · Nov 25, 2006

Possibly, the D 45 you mention could be Agfa/Ansco 45 developer, as described here: http://www.digitaltruth.com/techdata/agfa_ansco_45.php but that's only a guess. Continuing the guessing game, Normadol seems to be a fine grain developer, but I've no clue to what it contains. And digging a bit further, Richard Knoppow on the pure silver list says that Ardol is the Agfa Ansco 135. Richards post is here, if anyone wants to check it out: http://www.freelists.org/archives/pure-silver/05-2006/msg00121.html

titrisol · Nov 25, 2006

If the cans were tightly closed they should be fine.
Mix a small batch, drop a film leader in there and see if it turns black.

Paul Howell · Nov 27, 2006

I mixed a can of Normadol over the weekend but did not have time to test a roll of film. The can opened just fine will a little pop, the data on the can calls for 16mints for average development. Seems to be more of a match for Microdol or D23 than D76. The can also describes Normadol as fine gain and soft working. The Pinarrytal comes in a foil packet to make 1 pint, use before development and extend the development time by 50%.

Paul Howell · Nov 27, 2006

Jerevan said:
Possibly, the D 45 you mention could be Agfa/Ansco 45 developer, as described here: http://www.digitaltruth.com/techdata/agfa_ansco_45.php but that's only a guess. Continuing the guessing game, Normadol seems to be a fine grain developer, but I've no clue to what it contains. And digging a bit further, Richard Knoppow on the pure silver list says that Ardol is the Agfa Ansco 135. Richards post is here, if anyone wants to check it out: http://www.freelists.org/archives/pure-silver/05-2006/msg00121.html

The cans of D 45 that I have are a "single mix" not the three solutions that Ansco 45 seems to call for. Unlike the film developers the D 45 does not have any data, film or paper.

Robert Hall · Nov 27, 2006

I found this link for the pinakryptol on photo.net:

Dead Link Removed

I am not a big fan of dev by inspection, but this would make it much easier to give it a try.

Thanks for the tip, Ed.

Will S · Nov 27, 2006

This might be helpful:

Dead Link Removed

Best,

Will

Paul Howell · Nov 27, 2006

Robert Hall said:
I found this link for the pinakryptol on photo.net:

Dead Link Removed

I am not a big fan of dev by inspection, but this would make it much easier to give it a try.

Thanks for the tip, Ed.

Thanks for the link, I have never developed by inspection but it's work a try, I have some 4X5 which I will develop in DDX, my usual developer for 4X5 is DK 50 which may also work as it does not have as much sulfide as Edwal 12.

Paul

Rlibersky · Dec 27, 2006

Here is some information I found from the "Photo Lab Index" 1977 version.

GAF was the manufacturer

My 1949 version of this book does not mention any of these developers for Ansco. Although it does have alot of formulas, which might be one of them.

raucousimages · Dec 27, 2006

I am still useing Hyfinol and Isodol from the 50's. Ansco made some great developers back then. They dont like T-Max/Delta, contrast is harsh but Hyfinol on Plus-X and Tri_x is awsome. Test as if it was D-76 and adjust from there.

Paul Howell · Dec 28, 2006

raucousimages said:
I am still useing Hyfinol and Isodol from the 50's. Ansco made some great developers back then. They dont like T-Max/Delta, contrast is harsh but Hyfinol on Plus-X and Tri_x is awsome. Test as if it was D-76 and adjust from there.

I am familer with most GAF products, the DOD bought and issued GAF, Hyfinol was the GAF/Ansco version of D 76. I think Normdol is Ansco 17, which may have been replaced by Hyfinol. Ansco 17 is a little softer than D 76. I have deveopled HP5 4X5, TMX 400 and PF4 in Normdol, really very nice.

removed account4 · Dec 28, 2006

Paul Howell said:
I am familer with most GAF products, the DOD bought and issued GAF, Hyfinol was the GAF/Ansco version of D 76. I think Normdol is Ansco 17, which may have been replaced by Hyfinol. Ansco 17 is a little softer than D 76. I have deveopled HP5 4X5, TMX 400 and PF4 in Normdol, really very nice.

hi paul

just wondering ...
i have been searching for years for the real name for "GAF Unversal Developer" it came in a red can, white writing ... and it is *easily confused* for ansco 130. i found some years ago, and when i was broke, i mixed it up - all 5 gallons worth - and used it and used it and used it. that stuff was great. too bad it was 20+ years old, and now a mystery as to what it actually was ...

THANKS in advance
-john

LarryD · Aug 31, 2009

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110428304528&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123

I did a Patent search and here is a little about it.

http://www.google.com/patents?id=kg...t&resnum=5#v=onepage&q=Ansco Normadol&f=false

Ian Grant · Aug 31, 2009

Larry all that Patent says there is a list of potential developers, it doesn't actually say what Normadol is. But Agfa Ansco 17 was sold as a packaged Fine Grain developer, but called Ansco 17 from the 30's-50's. It was there standard fine grain developer.

Ian

lloyd · Aug 31, 2009

Ardol is a paper developer similar to Selectol. P. Caponigro comments that he used this quite a bit. Probably v. similar to the Ansco 135 formula.

lloyd

Anscojohn · Aug 31, 2009

Permadol was a deep tank developer. We used it for souping GAF Super Hypan when I worked as a stringer for a guy doing convention photography in Atlantic City back in the middle 1960s. We hung about a hundred rolls at a time on ss clips in the deep tank. The tank was porcelin. We used a step ladder to get up to hang the rolls of 120. Every now and again, when the moon was full, or some such, the boss would decide to add some replenisher.

ANSCO developers

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