How did people enlarge before cheap electricity?

[Sirius Glass]

You can take an 14 x18 glass plate negative put it in a window using a frame and use large mirror plastic film to coat 3 plywood 5x5 boards boards and have you kids hold the boards to reflect the sun on to the large glass plate negative the reflectors must be 8 feet from the window which is located on the eest side of the house. As the sun passes noon it will clear the house and hit the windows.and cover your glass plate perfect. It will be so bright as when I go inside the house I have homemade lens board and bellows holding my Russian 450 mm lens that projects the image onto my home made positive emulsion I have on stretched canvas 7 feet from lens. Exposure is in seconds. I didn't want to expose this secret but I'm 80 now handicaped save this info and give it to others freely. You must be able to fabricate or know a couple of woodworkers. juanfarrias7@gmail.com 432-290-3476

That is interesting.

Welcome to APUG Photrio!!​

 

[BMbikerider]

The UK Johnson's of Hendonwhich was a company in North London now long since gone out of business In the early 1960's used to make a daylight enlarger which consisted of a rectangular box which was about3.5 x 5.5 x 15" (approx) inches tall. It was a daylight enlarger!!!

A 35mm negative was slid into a holder at the top and a piece of paper 3.5" x 5.5" was placed into a light tight slot at the bottom. Somewhere in the middle of this tall box was a simple meniscus lens that focussed the image from the negative on the paper holder at the base. It was probably about F16-F22 fixed aperture.

The exposure was hit or miss affair because that was made by taking the device outside then removing a sliding baffle over the negative for a number of seconds then closing it again followed up by developing it for 2 minutes and then fixing it. I don't know how they gauged/adjusted any exposure for flat or contrasty negatives with graded paper.

There was a guide to decide as to how many seconds the exposure should be in the manner of a chart where you gave the month of the year, time of day, if it was bright sun, bright cloudy or dull cloudy and your latitude, then cross referencing these points it was supposed to be close enough to give an image at least better than the rather poor commercial processing at the time.

It was intended to bring home processing to the masses. Did it catch on? I have no idea, I was too intent on getting a proper darkroom to mess around with these.

 

[BMbikerider]

I have just googled the term 'Johnson Daylight Enlarger as mentioned in #27 above and came up with a reference to what I was trying to describe. There seems to have been a couple of designs with a larger one termed 2Jumbo" enlarger that made prints up to around 5x7 The try googleing:-

"Johnson Daylight enlarger"

 

[Daniela]

During the 1956 Olympics held in Melbourne, my Grandfather worked at the Olympic stadium every day, except for the opening and closing ceremony days.

He saved his pennies and had a roll of film for each day, before or after his shift he was allowed to roam the stadium in the standing area only. This he did, exposing a roll of film each day.

Each evening he and I went to the bathroom, I sat in the bath at the plug and tap end, he sat on the bath at the other end. As the film was the cheaper orthochromatic film (money was exceedingly tight) he used a small kerosene hurricane lamp sitting on a stool in the corner. The kero lamp had a big square glass bottle with the ends cut off over it, this bottle had some red cellophane paper from Christmas wrapping stock wrapped around it, this was his one and only safelight.

We developed the film in a seesaw fashion with both of us holding one end of the film; this is the bit where I came in handy. As my eyes were very good, I could tell him when the film had pictures on it, which decided the time was right to end development.

For picture making he had a small 6x9 wooden contact frame (which I now have). Paper was in 6x9 cut sheets so one loaded the negative, then the paper, then closed the double-sided spring backed backside. My job then was to walk to the clothesline and back with the holder on top of my head if it was a sunny day, if it was cloudy, I walked to the back fence and back. We then processed the paper in cut down kerosene tins, using the same safelight used for film developing.

I now realise that I didnt have to hold the contact holder on the top of my head, but as a young fella it gave me a sense of importance, which is obviously why my grandfather instructed me very seriously, of the importance of being able to hold the contraption dead straight and not to run or deviate from the decided upon route in the backyard.

Our bathroom was out the back of the house at one end of the back verandah, there was no electricity there; we used a kero lamp for light. The hot water system was part of the kitchen stove, which was a solid fuel, or wood burner type. Effectively this was a self sufficient or independent way of photography, compared to today that is.

As a matter of interest we used an egg timer in the house for most things, including a shower. My grandfather, father and myself had to have our shower all over from start top finish before the egg timer was through. We did this by quickly rotating as one hopped in, got wet, hopped out then lathered up, then hopped back in to rinse off. Any longer than an egg timer under the shower, the hot water ran out.

Mick.

What precious memories, Mick. I find this especially touching since I just had a kiddo ask me to teach him darkroom stuff. I'm wrecking my brain trying to figure out how to do so without a proper darkroom, equipment, etc. but I'm determined because I know it'll be so worth it!

 

[Romanko]

 

[BobUK]

I started in the 60s with a 620/120 box of family negatives, and a wooden contact frame for 2.5 x 3.5" contact papers.
I still have a few of the packets in the loft.
It was Kodak Velox Paper. Made for contact printing.
The instructions in a couple of of them give instructions for GAS LIGHT exposures.
It was even called Gas Light Paper in some books and instruction sheets. Some developer concentrates instruction sheets called them Gas Light Papers as well.
Gas lighting wasn't such an oddity in the sixties. Our church was gas lit, lots of British Railways stations had gas lighting, I also remember a fish and chip shop with gas lighting and the massive old market in the local big town was gas lit. Streets had gas lighting as well.
Even London UK has gas lighting today in lots of the touristy places. The present Lord Mayor wants to remove some of them to help in his over the top green agenda.
Old photography books that I read as a youngster had horizontal enlargers with oil lights, gas lights and acetylene lights built in.
Also red glass in the window frame as a safe light.

Whilst I am going down memory lane I would like to mention the day that I burst into the bathroom that had been temporarily blacked out by my older brother. He and his mate were see-sawing a roll of film through a bowl of chemicals.
I was only in junior school, and didn't realise what was going on, but I think I learnt my first sweary words that day.

So coal gas, acetylene, paraffin and natural daylight are some of the things used in the old days.

 

[pentaxuser]

What cheap electricity? It has cost me a fortune since about 2022 Sorry I couldn't resist

pentaxuser

 

[Molli]

The UK Johnson's of Hendonwhich was a company in North London now long since gone out of business In the early 1960's used to make a daylight enlarger which consisted of a rectangular box which was about3.5 x 5.5 x 15" (approx) inches tall. It was a daylight enlarger!!!

A 35mm negative was slid into a holder at the top and a piece of paper 3.5" x 5.5" was placed into a light tight slot at the bottom. Somewhere in the middle of this tall box was a simple meniscus lens that focussed the image from the negative on the paper holder at the base. It was probably about F16-F22 fixed aperture.

The exposure was hit or miss affair because that was made by taking the device outside then removing a sliding baffle over the negative for a number of seconds then closing it again followed up by developing it for 2 minutes and then fixing it. I don't know how they gauged/adjusted any exposure for flat or contrasty negatives with graded paper.

There was a guide to decide as to how many seconds the exposure should be in the manner of a chart where you gave the month of the year, time of day, if it was bright sun, bright cloudy or dull cloudy and your latitude, then cross referencing these points it was supposed to be close enough to give an image at least better than the rather poor commercial processing at the time.

It was intended to bring home processing to the masses. Did it catch on? I have no idea, I was too intent on getting a proper darkroom to mess around with these.

I brought a Mascot version of one of these home from a friend's shop to research for him some years ago.
As I'd photographed it beside a bookcase, I had reference points to take measurements years later and devised a scaled down version to take with me interstate to show my nephew and niece.

It's fixed focus and makes 6x9 prints from 35mm negatives. Scaling it back up to use 120 film or 4x5 would be easy enough, but I was aiming for tiny. The enlarger, a couple of small trays, and a small box of Ilford Ilfobrom 6x9 paper takes up less than a couple of pairs of socks in a suitcase.

It still sits on the baseboard of one of my enlarger , but never got past the prototype and test run stage. It packs flat, with the lens being the thickest component at around 2½cm. I used a torch to make the exposures and I was using my two tealight candle powered safelights at the time - so, entirely portable, wireless and could well be used with sunlight. (I did try a quick cyanotype outside, but only proved that a great deal more exposure was required.)

My profuse apologies for my poor photography; these were merely explainer pictures when discussing it with a friend via text:

 

[Molli]

You can take an 14 x18 glass plate negative put it in a window using a frame and use large mirror plastic film to coat 3 plywood 5x5 boards boards and have you kids hold the boards to reflect the sun on to the large glass plate negative the reflectors must be 8 feet from the window which is located on the eest side of the house. As the sun passes noon it will clear the house and hit the windows.and cover your glass plate perfect. It will be so bright as when I go inside the house I have homemade lens board and bellows holding my Russian 450 mm lens that projects the image onto my home made positive emulsion I have on stretched canvas 7 feet from lens. Exposure is in seconds. I didn't want to expose this secret but I'm 80 now handicaped save this info and give it to others freely. You must be able to fabricate or know a couple of woodworkers. juanfarrias7@gmail.com 432-290-3476

This conjures up some wonderful imagery! Was this something you devised yourself through trial and error or learned from an older practitioner?
Also, a belated welcome to Photrio, Mr. Farrias. It's lovely to have you here.

 

[Molli]

... I was using my two tealight candle powered safelights at the time - so, entirely portable, wireless and could well be used with sunlight....

The glass version of these safe lights actually does have the little tin bottle base to hold kerosene and a wick and whilst I do have oil lamps and spare wicks about the place, I just slide a glass panel up and sit a tealight candle on top. It's a useful way to keep track of how long I've been in the darkroom when it goes out.
The other safelight is very portable - a collapsible metal frame with "specially treated" fabric panels (probably asbestos knowing me!) and a metal top and base with a spot for the tealight candle.
So, another flat pack item for printing out in the Australian outback.

 

[mshchem]

I ment to saw on the west side of the house which would be in shade till the sun coming from the east clears the house then hits the mirrors

I especially like having the kids hold the mirrors

 

[Molli]

I especially like having the kids hold the mirrors

Did you see Mick's post from 2009? His grandfather made him walk the length of the backyard, wearing the contact print frame as though he was a young lady balancing a book on her head learning deportment in some ritzy finishing school.
I've been carrying that scene around in my mind for years. It may well have been one of the first things I ever read here on APUG/Photrio. It's the little things!

Does anyone else have "back in the day" stories or have adapted earlier practices for off-grid, portable use?

 

[Paul Howell]

In the 90s I knew a guy who built solar enlarger based on AA description. He used a light tube on the north wall of his garage, an old 8X10 view camera that he found at a pawn shop, and had parts machined. He had negative holders for 8X10, 5X7 and 4X5. This was Arizona, so as long as the weather was clear or complete overast he had short exposure time, if partly cloudy exposure changed too much. I was out of the country for a number of years, when I returned he has passed away, his widow had torn the darkroom out so she could park her car.

 

[mshchem]

Did you see Mick's post from 2009? His grandfather made him walk the length of the backyard, wearing the contact print frame as though he was a young lady balancing a book on her head learning deportment in some ritzy finishing school.
I've been carrying that scene around in my mind for years. It may well have been one of the first things I ever read here on APUG/Photrio. It's the little things!

Does anyone else have "back in the day" stories or have adapted earlier practices for off-grid, portable use?

Yes, that's a wonderful story! I remember my father and I making prints, and rolling them up in a Kodak blotter roll. Seems like we only printed in the cold winter months, drying on the register of a gravity convection furnace in our huge old house.

I couldn't wait a day, my Dad would patiently unroll the blotter and I would time and again find out that a couple long hours weren't enough for the prints to dry.