Ilford Galerie Label History

ChuckP · Apr 19, 2015

I sometimes buy some older Galerie. I have figured out the date code but was looking for a faster way to approximately date the paper from the label design.

The third picture shows what I believe is the current label as seen on on-line dealers sites. My only box with this label is from 2007. I'm wondering when this label started to be used? Also when was grade 1 and 4 dropped? Around 2008?

The second picture shows a label I believe started around 1994 and went till the current label started. Any idea on the dates this label was used?

The first label I believe is pre 1994 but I'm not sure when it started. I'm interested in it's date span but I avoid paper with this label unless it's really cheap. My own supply with this label still works for me but I know it's been kept frozen.

I think Galerie started around 1980. So it may have a lot of labels prior to these but they are all I can find in my supply. But I'll admit to using it in the 1980's.

Thanks for any help from the Galerie history experts.

Oren Grad · Apr 19, 2015

Part of the story is that Galerie FB was introduced in 1990, with some changes from the original Galerie. So any paper with a label saying just "Galerie" is pretty old indeed.

basicn · Apr 19, 2015

try this http://www.palomarkovic.net/mobile/BatchNumberDecoder/

ChuckP · Apr 20, 2015

Thanks for that website. Much easier than doing it by hand. But I'm trying to get a feel for the gross age by just looking at a label. Plus some of the history. For example did Ilford sell Ilfobrom parallel to Galerie for a time or did they just drop it when Galerie came out?

Simon R Galley · Apr 20, 2015

I will ask....

Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

DREW WILEY · Apr 20, 2015

About all I know is that when I tried to order some the other day the gal at the camera store almost went nuts trying to figure out what I wanted. She didn't even know what graded paper was. And it doesn't help that "Galerie" is a term cannibalized by their Stinkjet papers.
Finally we dug up the owner/buyer and she found some 11X14 "Ilfobrom" on the shelf, so were able to look up the numerical sequence of the
actual product number for the 16x20 I wanted. Next time around, they'll have this already computerized in the system with a link to my name, so it will go a lot faster. Wish product names weren't recycled like that. They could have at least called the other paper, "Galeresque".

EdSawyer · Apr 20, 2015

They don't make grade 1 galerie any more? That's a drag. :-/ Obviously I haven't bought any in a while....

chip j · Apr 20, 2015

EdSawyer said:
They don't make grade 1 galerie any more? That's a drag. :-/ Obviously I haven't bought any in a while....

I agree. Galerie must be made now for studio work, not the real world. The famous Simon Galley told me that Grade 1 has "not a chance" of coming back!

Sal Santamaura · Apr 20, 2015

chip j said:
...Galerie must be made now for studio work, not the real world...

No, it's made for people who have their film development process under control and are able to handle real world images with grades 2 and 3 paper.

chip j · Apr 21, 2015

Sal Santamaura said:
No, it's made for people who have their film development process under control and are able to handle real world images with grades 2 and 3 paper.

Who has time for that when you're shooting 35mm film so fast you don't have time to think, just respond w/Matrix metering?

Slixtiesix · Apr 21, 2015

No, it's made for people who have their film development process under control and are able to handle real world images with grades 2 and 3 paper.

That´s it. ... I started using Galerie myself awhile back and it´s a great paper. Drydown is almost nonexistent! From my knowledge Ilfobrom and Galerie were different papers first. Both were discontinued around 1990 and replaced by the new "Ilfobrom Galerie" that is still available today. Some people also claim the paper underwent some minor changes after that, while others report they can see no difference between new paper and Galerie from 20 years ago. Maybe Simon R Galley can respond to this?

Roger Cole · Apr 21, 2015

chip j said:
Who has time for that when you're shooting 35mm film so fast you don't have time to think, just respond w/Matrix metering?

Those people would probably be best served by a VC paper.

If you must have grade 1, grade 2 paper and a soft developer like Selectol Soft (well, a modern copy of that) will give you the equivalent. If that's still not soft enough, pre-flash. If that doesn't do it, STOP DEVELOPING YOUR FILM SO LONG!

chip j · Apr 21, 2015

Maybe a VC Galerie would be nice?!

Sal Santamaura · Apr 21, 2015

chip j said:
Who has time for that when you're shooting 35mm film so fast you don't have time to think, just respond w/Matrix metering?

People who take advantage of the bargain prices for film cameras today and carry two or more camera bodies. Each is dedicated to a different development time that accommodates a particular scene brightness range. Just like large format shooters who develop individual sheets or groups of sheets for different times based on scene contrast. That's the way photographers handled their materials before vc papers were introduced.

chip j · Apr 21, 2015

Sal Santamaura said:
People who take advantage of the bargain prices for film cameras today and carry two or more camera bodies. Each is dedicated to a different development time that accommodates a particular scene brightness range. Just like large format shooters who develop individual sheets or groups of sheets for different times based on scene contrast. That's the way photographers handled their materials before vc papers were introduced.

Maybe you can recommend 2 dev times, one for contrasty light & one for flat light (I know there are variables, but can you give me a start w/Kentmere 100 film, machine-processed in stock ID-11?).

Roger Cole · Apr 21, 2015

Sal Santamaura said:
People who take advantage of the bargain prices for film cameras today and carry two or more camera bodies. Each is dedicated to a different development time that accommodates a particular scene brightness range. Just like large format shooters who develop individual sheets or groups of sheets for different times based on scene contrast. That's the way photographers handled their materials before vc papers were introduced.

This is what I do in medium format when shooting black and white with my M645. I just use two (or, sometimes, three) film backs, one marked for +, one for N and rarely one for -. Since I use VC paper that's as fine as I need to cut it, the plus getting something like a zone system +1.5 and the minus more like a -1 (which again is as soft as I really ever need.) You could easily do that with more granularity with a few more film backs, which are cheap, or with multiple 35mm bodies, which are just about as cheap.

I still get the point about shooting quickly and not being able to switch, and I also still say if that's your style you'd be better served with one of today's excellent VC papers.

Roger Cole · Apr 21, 2015

chip j said:
Maybe you can recommend 2 dev times, one for contrasty light & one for flat light (I know there are variables, but can you give me a start w/Kentmere 100 film, machine-processed in stock ID-11?).

If you've worked out your development time for normal scenes that gives you what you want for those, try adding about 15% - 20% for flat scenes and subtracting about the same amount for contrasty ones (maybe with a bit more exposure in that case.) Modern t-grain type films (and Foma - man that stuff builds contrast quickly) tend to respond more to smaller changes in development than more conventional films.

chip j · Apr 22, 2015

Thanks, Roger, I was thinking plus or minus 10-15%!

Roger Cole · Apr 22, 2015

I'd say 10% is a good starting point for t-grain films, more like 20% for some conventional films. But the latter are not totally conventional anymore. Too small changes can drive you nuts though, especially working without a densitometer. It's like trying to choose between two prints that are almost, but not quite, identical. 15% is probably a good starting point.

Slixtiesix · Apr 22, 2015

I´d only wish that Galerie was on a slightly thicker base (maybe 315g/m2 like Galerie digital FB) to pronounce its "premium" character. But I assume that Ilford is using the same 255g/m2 base for all of its fiber papers. If this is the case, since Ilford claims to have reduced the washing times with the new MG classic, I wonder whether the shorter washing times would apply to MG WT and Galerie as well?

Simon R Galley · Apr 22, 2015

Hi, Slixtiesix,

No, the new washing times apply only to MGFB Classic and MGFB Cooltone.

Regards Simon. ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited :

EdSawyer · Apr 22, 2015

Old Galerie used to be on a thicker base than any of the other FB ilford papers. It was awesome, super thick feeling.

I like grade 1 paper for a particular use: It was ideal for printing from Tech Pan negatives. Even then it could go either way, but anything more contrasty than Grade 1 was pretty much too contrasty, with those negs. And that's developing with Technidol, all the usual kodak methods to tame contrast, etc.

DREW WILEY · Apr 22, 2015

Well, my special order of Gr 3 is already here, barely a week after ordering it. Can't complain about that!

Sal Santamaura · Apr 22, 2015

chip j said:
Maybe you can recommend 2 dev times, one for contrasty light & one for flat light (I know there are variables, but can you give me a start w/Kentmere 100 film, machine-processed in stock ID-11?).

I'm glad others have stepped in to provide you at least a starting point, since these days I shoot only large format and have never used Kentmere.

Please understand that my reply posts weren't meant to demean Ilford Multigrade papers in the slightest, but simply explain how one could use graded papers in the circumstances you encounter. In fact, even though my negatives are sheet film and amenable to individual contrast index customization, they're printed almost exclusively on Multigrade Warmtone FB. And I like a slightly cool neutral, so gold toner takes them from warm to that target color.

Ilford Galerie Label History

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