De Facto Pt/PD print from kallitype

Johnindc · Sep 10, 2008

I'm sure everyone who is making kallitypes has read the following "...a well-made kallitype, when toned with platinum or palladium, is for all practical purposes identical in tonal range and color to a true platinum or palladium print. In fact it would be impossible for even an expert to distinguish between well-made kallitype and platinum prints made from the same negative." My question: does a kallitype fully toned with Pt or Pd become a de facto Pt or Pd print?

payral · Sep 10, 2008

Exactly the same difference between being and seeming, reality and appearance. But nowodays, a lot of people forgot the difference, choosing appearance as first choice.

doughowk · Sep 10, 2008

If most of the silver is replaced by pt or pd, I would argue that its more than perception. But what's in a name besides marketing - platinum print vs platinum-toned print?

boyooso · Sep 11, 2008

if most ???

nze · Sep 11, 2008

Due to some test of bleaching after toning , If you do a good toning or double toning , with gold , platinum or palladium you get turn all the silver in noble metal. with only one toning you turn 95% of the silver in noble salt. I never get more. What means this 95% it mean that afater belaching there is a loss of density of 5% . This loos of density is not uniform and we are lucky as it only haapen in the low light of the print and donot touch the highlight.
I do these test using single shoot developer and toner. I applied on the print with coating rod.

Russ Young · Sep 11, 2008

I do believe I am being quoted here...
That was summarizing a conversation with Laura Gilpin, circa 1978. Laura was a noted photographer, graduate of Clarence White's school, and her platinum prints of the era are second to none. I had just begun making kallitypes and had just made the first ones toned with platinum or palladium. I asked Miss Gilpin for a critique - and she asked if they were straight platinums and palladiums; I replied no, they were toned kallitypes. She chuckled and said she had not thought about them since the 1920s when she had made a few. Was she happy with them? "Oh, yes, they were beautiful, but everyone wanted a platinum print." Could she pick a toned kallitype out of a pile of palladium prints? "Goodness, no!"

Russ Young

nze · Sep 11, 2008

Nice to read this story . Thanks Russ

Johnindc · Sep 11, 2008

Actually, the quote is taken from the text of Sandy King in an article called Making Kallitype Prints:
A Fresh Look at a Beautiful Printing Process. The article appeared in Unblinking Eye.

michael9793 · Sep 12, 2008

Russ nice to here about Laura. That school is Ohio University. Clarence White was my senior Projects instructor ( I did mine in my Junior year), and he retired during my actual Senior year and Arnold Gassen took over then. It was a great pleasure to have studied under them.

mike andersen

wilsonneal · Sep 13, 2008

That's my alma mater, too. I started the year after Arnold Gassen stopped teaching, but his influence was very strong in the curriculum. I thought it was a good program.
Neal

De Facto Pt/PD print from kallitype

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