Dead mans film. Would u develop?

ezwriter · Sep 20, 2012

So i was at a cool estate sale. The guy was a photog,woodworker,had a great darkroom. He died and the wife was put
in a home. (Makes me wonder whats gonna happen to all my crap!)
In the very bottom of one drawer was a exposed roll of Verichrome Pan 127 and a roll of VP 620. So i took em.

Would u develop em? i dont even have reels for 127 , 620 looks like same as 120 no?

Gonna develop em later. Maybe they're forgotten shots of Marilyn? or the Lindberg flight? haha How old is this film anyone know?

MattKing · Sep 20, 2012

If you use Paterson reels, they have a 127 setting on them. Lots of other adjustable reels do as well.

And 620 film is the same as 120. The spools are different (and quite saleable).

Verichrome Pan 127 was available new for a very long time. I shot it back in the 1960s. I'd guess that it remained available until the 1990s.

And I would develop it - there may be family members who would appreciate the results.

Steve Roberts · Sep 20, 2012

Too right I'd develop it. Curiosity would get the better of any "invasion of privacy" qualms and if the results show the dead chap with a young floozy on his knee, well the option is yours to burn the film!!!

Steve

xtolsniffer · Sep 20, 2012

My father-in-law found an old box brownie type camera in his loft with a roll of exposed VP 620 still in it. I developed it and it had pictures of my wife and her brother when they were about six on holiday by the seaside, this would be from about 1975. Bit fogged but printable. There is nothing like finding an old photo you never knew existed before.

thegman · Sep 20, 2012

Hope by "took" you mean "bought", not "stole". Maybe the owner might be able to shed some light on how old the film.

John Bragg · Sep 20, 2012

Go for it. Whats to lose? I once had a very rewarding experience developing a long expired roll from a box brownie when a friends mother died. It was a good thing to be able to see photos taken on holiday by the sea 40 years ago. It was a colour film and the process was long defunct but I developed it as black and white..

bsdunek · Sep 20, 2012

I certainly would develop it. I don't see it as disrespectful, and, as said above, the family might enjoy seeing the photos. A few years ago, my Brother printed some of my Grandmother's negatives from the early 1900's. We found some very interesting family photos, and I'm sure she would be happy we did so.

ParkerSmithPhoto · Sep 20, 2012

Sounds like a great time for Diafine.

removed account4 · Sep 20, 2012

i'd do it without a second thought, and as bruce suggested, present the family with
a contact sheet or photographs if they want.
sounds like fun !
john

Paul Howell · Sep 20, 2012

In the past I have developed orphaned exposed rolls sometime without knowing who to give prints to, then a friend of mine found a roll in an old camera (Yashica A or C) with a roll of exposed film a garage sale. She did not think she would get printalble negatives due to summer temps in Phoenix, but did, child pron. Turned over the the police, the family she bought the the camera from suied for breach of privacy cost her a couple of grand in legal fees to get the case tossed. The camera was owned by a family member who was still alive but in a long term care facility due to stroke and not fit for trial.

ezwriter · Sep 21, 2012

Ok thanks. So Diafine would be good? i have some Acufine i think. Tmax no good for old film? I wouldnt be able to locate the family but yeah, curiousity factor...

ezwriter · Sep 24, 2012

Ok mixed up some Dektol and prcoessed the rolls last nite. The 127 is almost black. the 620 not too bad, some pix of his dog and family members.
I might contact the estate sale company and see if any family members want the prints.

almost black= ??

PhotoJim · Sep 24, 2012

Don't throw away the 620 spool. They're hard to find and useful for people who shoot 620 film; 120 film can be rerolled onto it.

Dead mans film. Would u develop?

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