Displaying Negatives: is it possible?

[Candlejack]

I was curious if there was a way to display negatives.
Preserve them in resin?
Coat with a medium?
Protective glass?
Uv bag?
I figure interesting presentations are possible, but im wondering about achivability when they arent squirreled away in a binder. (Obviously you wouldnt want to display them in direct sunlight)

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Sandwiched between glass, or plexi?

 

[Don_ih]

I have an 8x10 piece of lith film taped to one of my windows with a piece of white paper behind it. It's actually an enlargement from a medium format negative. It's film, anyway. It's been there for 5 years and nothing has happened to it.
I don't know why anyone would be interested in displaying a negative.

 

[Candlejack]

Sandwiched between glass, or plexi?

That would be a good idea. I do have a glass store round the corner!

 

[Candlejack]

I have an 8x10 piece of lith film taped to one of my windows with a piece of white paper behind it. It's actually an enlargement from a medium format negative. It's film, anyway. It's been there for 5 years and nothing has happened to it.
I don't know why anyone would be interested in displaying a negative.

Thats good to hear nothing happened to it! Oddly enough, lith film was something I was thinking ablut. I recall reading someone suggesting either painting the back of the lith black or putting it over metal for an interesting effect. Maybe an ambrotype (spelling) type look?

I also thought about a negative with some space between it and a contact print enclosed in glass or resin, that would give an interesting look/effect.

 

[Arthurwg]

Large format paper Calotype negatives from 19th C. salt prints are often displayed as works of art in themselves. Sometimes they are paired with the positive print as well. They can be very beautiful displayed this way.

 

[Candlejack]

Large format paper Calotype negatives from 19th C. salt prints are often displayed as works of art in themselves. Sometimes they are paired with the positive print as well. They can be very beautiful displayed this way.

So im thinking, if thats the case, then modern film or lith film would be able to somewhat stand to the test of time being displayed

 

[Candlejack]

Large format paper Calotype negatives from 19th C. salt prints are often displayed as works of art in themselves. Sometimes they are paired with the positive print as well. They can be very beautiful displayed this way.

Maybe black ink, or black acrylic on the back of the negative, or just nice black paper behind it, and a layer of glass in front. Maybe a mat to prevent the negative from touching the glass.

 

[BAC1967]

Microphotography has been around since 1839 and many microphotographs from that era still exist today in excellent condition. That process involves sandwiching a photo between a glass microscope slide and a glass cover slip. They often used Canada Balsam to make permanent mounts back then. I have a few of these and have made a few myself using modern film cut down to fit on a microscope slide. I suppose you could do this process on a larger scale between any size glass plates but I would practice on negatives you don't care about.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphotograph

http://microscopist.net/Micrograph.html

https://www.stanhopemicroworks.com/antique-microphoto.html

 

[Candlejack]

Microphotography has been around since 1839 and many microphotographs from that era still exist today in excellent condition. That process involves sandwiching a photo between a glass microscope slide and a glass cover slip. They often used Canada Balsam to make permanent mounts back then. I have a few of these and have made a few myself using modern film cut down to fit on a microscope slide. I suppose you could do this process on a larger scale between any size glass plates but I would practice on negatives you don't care about.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphotograph

http://microscopist.net/Micrograph.html

https://www.stanhopemicroworks.com/antique-microphoto.html

Yup im going to experiment with scraps

 

[faberryman]

That would be a good idea. I do have a glass store round the corner!

A while back I broke the glass when I was framing one of my prints and trooped on over to the glass shop and asked them how much a 16x20 sheet of glass would run, and they told me some exhobitant amount, so I declined and drove over to Michaels and bought a 16x20 frame that was on sale, and kept the glass and threw the frame way, and saved a ton of money. So now I go to Michaels for all my glass needs.

 

[Candlejack]

A while back I broke the glass when I was framing one of my prints and trooped on over to the glass shop and asked them how much a 16x20 sheet of glass would run, and they told me some exhobitant amount, so I declined and drove over to Michaels and bought a 16x20 frame that was on sale, and kept the glass and threw the frame way, and saved a ton of money. So now I go to Michaels for all my glass needs.

Yea some places charge way too much. I need to get a glass cutter for at home. But the glass cutter charged me.. $3 for 3 4x5 cuts total?

 

[Don_ih]

So now I go to Michaels for all my glass needs.

Thrift stores are even better for it. You can get huge frames for under $10.

 

[Candlejack]

Thrift stores are even better for it. You can get huge frames for under $10.

I do have a bunch of thift store frames in the shed for watercolors. I may sacrific a few

 

[gone]

I can recommend thrift stores too. They get gallery framed stuff all the time and sell it for peanuts. I prefer not to put anything under glass though because it can make the image less sharp and the reflections can sometimes drive you crazy.

Wouldn't a displayed negative look best w/ a little bit of back lighting? Not sure how big your negative is, but to see it properly, I would build an open-sided box for it, and mount that on the wall w/ a low intensity LED behind it.

 

[faberryman]

I looked into this a while back. I was thinking about showing some of my large format transparencies in backlit frames. Turns out they are readily available. In the end, I didn't go forward with the idea. Lack of electrical outlets. Some took batteries but battery life was an issue.

 

[MattKing]

So im thinking, if thats the case, then modern film or lith film would be able to somewhat stand to the test of time being displayed

For black and white, the emulsion should be resistant to degradation, but the substrate may be vulnerable.
And discoloration might also occur.
Perhaps look into long term display issues for X-rays.

 

[Arthurwg]

The Getty Center in LA has a center for the study and preservation of photographic materials. You might want to contact them.

 

[Candlejack]

For black and white, the emulsion should be resistant to degradation, but the substrate may be vulnerable.
And discoloration might also occur.
Perhaps look into long term display issues for X-rays.

I played around today with regular black and white film and ortho lith film. I painted some paper with black watercolor and black india ink. No resulrt with the standard film.. but the ortho lith film ooked great! I even experimented with painting directly onto the ortho lith.

I think ortho lith over black paper, or painted black paper would be the way to go. (Archival black b

acking would be best) Definately with glass on top and possibly a mat between the glass and negative. .

Now its just up to the archivability of ortho lith film.

 

[Candlejack]

The Getty Center in LA has a center for the study and preservation of photographic materials. You might want to contact them.

Thank you for the info! Ill see what they have to say.