Found old photographic paper

[boodschap]

I found some packages of old Ilford paper (Ilfospeed 2.24M) at home. I think it's about 30 years old, never opened. I wonder if it still 'works'. What would be the best developer to test it?

 

[Paul Howell]

The last very old Ilford paper I found at an estate sale did not hold up very well. It was fiber based and the emulsion tended to come off during the wash. To test you might want try Dektol, stock and 1:1 or 1:2. Use hardner fix, wash aid and short wash.

 

[mgb74]

I received a batch of old paper - different brands, surfaces, weights - and found varying degrees of fog. Supposedly all the paper was stored the same but I had no way of knowing the exact age of each package.


Some the the Agfa paper that I knew (by packaging) to be fairly old did surprisingly well. Others, in same style packaging, not so well.

Simple to test (essentially compare 2 partial sheets of unexposed paper; one that is developed and fixed and the other just fixed).

 

[Simon R Galley]

Dear Boodschap,

Test it and see.....you never know....its RC obviously and does not have developer incorporated so it may be OK, alsways the same, depends how its been stored.

Simon. ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

 

[boodschap]

Found some old developer: Ilfospeed (bottle of 500 ml) that has been in the cupboard for at least 30 years. I've mixed it as described on the bottle. Took a piece of photopaper and it worked. Emulsion seems to be in good shape. Tomorrow I will stop by shop to get fixer...

 

[boodschap]

And now got the real test: took a picture through pinhole camera. First picture looks neat, some slight package imprints show up, might be better with second picture.

 

[Simon R Galley]

30 year old ILFOSPEED Developer that still works....now that does surprise me

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

 

[Ian Grant]

Simon,

The original Ilfospeed papers didn't actually need a developer you could process them with an Activator/Stabiliser machine, I used an Ilfopring machine with home made activator (Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium sulphite and Kbr) and Hypam at 1+4 instead of stabiliser. The results were indistinguishable from paper processed in Ilfospeed developer.

At the time Ilford kept very quiet about this as they were promoting their newer Ilfospeed processors.. So original Ilfospeed would still develop in a developer that's collapsed becasue of the inherrent alkalinity.

Ian