Displaying and Preserving a Negative

[matt nalley]

Along with a large print I would like to give a negative as a gift for a special someone. The thought is a print can't be carried with you wherever you go, but a negative is very portable. This frame seems to be the perfect size. It is 40x40mm and the circle will nicely frame the subject. One side will hold a contact print, the portable version of the large print. The opposite side will hold the negative. The other point of this part of my gift is to say not only is this a true one-of-a-kind print for your wall that you can also take with you wherever you go, but the original negative is also yours.

Here is my problem. How can I preserve the negative? Although very unlikely, if the print is ever damaged or destroyed the negative may need to be retrieved if she wants me to reproduce the print. Even if that never happens I want to make sure the negative doesn't get dusty or scratched for aesthetic reasons. My only thought is to sandwich the negative between two very thin pieces of UV-protected plexiglass with a sheet of acid-free white paper behind the negative. (One suggestion I received on another forum is to tape the negative to mat board so the negative doesn't touch the glass.) All I can find online are standard plastic sleeves, which won't provide adequate protection. Does any sort of single-frame negative mount/preservation product exist? If so, would it be thin enough to fit in a frame like this designed for a paper thin print?

My original idea was something more basic than a hinged silver frame (that's just all I've been able to find so far). I thought about a simple square plexiglass sandwich, roughly 35x35mm. The negative could be directly behind the contact print, with the back of the print serving as the white background to make the negative as visible as possible. For this I had no idea what to Google so I haven't found anything yet. Ideas?


The frame:

 

[matt nalley]

bump. 90 views and no ideas? really?

 

[tkamiya]

It's a really nice idea but once you give away your negatives, your chances of actually getting it back in good condition to produce a print is gone. It can be damaged, lost, etc, in any possible and imaginable way.

How about this... if you haven't shot the photograph yet, shoot multiple. Include one neg as part of a gift and keep the rest to make prints. To the recipient, it makes no difference.

 

[holmburgers]

I'd suggest putting it in a polyethylene sleeve, which is archival and clear. The perfect solution however would be a "window mat" with glass over it. If it's really worth it to you, someone could make a custom matting and frame at a frame shop.

Sandwiching it between something is generally a bad idea, and down the road you might find that the emulsion is stuck to it and will be damaged when you try to peel it apart. Plastics, like plexiglass, might 'out-gas' over time, also harming the silver image. Use archival board, glass and a metal frame.

Lastly, consider polysulfide toning the negative for protection since this is such an unusual storage method.

 

[matt nalley]

tkamiya, good point. Normally I would never consider giving away a negative. However, I trust this person more than anyone to keep the negative safe. Damage is my only real concern. The most careful among us can ruin a negative in an instant, which is why I'm trying to find the best method for protecting it. Obviously storing it in a sleeve and filing it away in a safe place is the way to go, but I want her to be able to take this with her wherever she goes, so a compromise is in order. I'm confident the frame will provide sufficient protection when it's closed. The trick will be managing dust and light when the frame is open.

As for duplicate negatives, that's a possibility. I may try to create a 4x5 negative from the original 35mm and use the 4x5 to make the print, but I've never attempted that before. Whichever route I take to the final enlargement there is still only one true original negative, and that will be part of the gift.

 

[matt nalley]

holmburgers, I think the window mat with glass is what I had in mind. Sandwiching was the wrong word to describe it. The mat boards (with window) would "sandwich" the negative and then glass/plexiglass would sandwich the mat board. I've read that glass adds a yellow tint and only blocks about 50% of UV light, whereas products like TruVue Optium Museum Acrylic (plexiglass) block 99% of UV light and are specifically designed for framing artwork and photographs with preservation in mind. Does plexiglass really out-gas over time? If so, how long would it take before it causes damage? I would have no problem replacing the plexiglass every 5-10 years if necessary. Replacing it periodically may be desired anyway as it will undoubtedly acquire scratches over time. I think I'd prefer some scratches as opposed to potentially shattered glass.

Polysulfide toning is another good idea. I'm not sure if the tone will work with this particular image, but I'll definitely experiment with it on some of the reject negatives. I didn't realize you can use it on negatives. Does it color them as dramatically as it colors prints? And how does a print made from a polysulfide toned negative differ from a "regular" negative?

 

[holmburgers]

Hi matt,

I'm not positive about plexiglass outgassing, but plastics in general have this tendency so it'd be worth looking into. I'd bet there are glasses with UV blockers out there.

I've never toned a negative personally, but I think that polysulfide toning doesn't have to alter the image color much. I'm sure that different formulas will give you different results. But as for its effect on printing, I think it will be negligible once you've compensated for increased contrast.. I believe there are some threads on APUG about toning for archival. Actually, look into microfilm toning, as they commonly do this to preserve longevity.

 

[matt nalley]

Thanks again. I have more to research now

What about slide mounts? Someone at a different forum suggested these, and I think it's a good idea but have never worked with them before. There are glassless mounts and mounts with Anti-Newton glass. With or without the AN glass I would probably mount the slide mount in something else to conceal the plastic frame, although I'm not sure what that would be...hmmm

 

[jeffreyg]

I have some halogen track-lights that have round UV filter glass covers. You might check with Home Depot or some lighting store and find something that will work for you.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

 

[Worker 11811]

How about sealing it between two pieces of museum glass and sealing the edges with foil tape?

Instead of paper for backing, maybe use Tyvek. Then make another piece of Tyvek like a frame around the negative to hold the pieces of glass apart enough that the film won't touch the glass.

Tyvek is made of polyethylene, the same thing archival sleeves are made from. It should not hurt the film, nor should film have any more chance of sticking to it than it would to a polyethylene photo sleeve.