Ilford reference negative

[miha]

Does anyone recollect them? I bought a book on darkroom techniques in an used book store. The book came with a vinil bag that contained a 5x7 RC print and an original FP4 (not plus) negative in a small glassine sleeve. There is also additional info given which reveals that the film was developed in ID11 stock, the photo was taken with a motorised Nikon camera and printed on Ilfospeed Multigrade glossy paper. The photo is of English countryside with a house and a human figure (a fisherman) by a lake. It's purpose I guess was to show novice photographers how a properly exposed and developed negative looks like.

 

[AgX]

Never seen it. Very interesting!

What I know and somehow is related to it are the editions of the "Agfacolor" book by Berger which all contain a print on Agfacolor paper.
I guess I somewhere got a technical photo-book containing a positive transparency.
But a book containing a negative as educational sample is new to me.

However one dustcover for the Berger book bears a photograph of a woman doing her make up in front of a mirror. One of the two images of her is positive the other negative. An intriguing photo-montage.

 

[miha]

My guess is the book didn't contain the negative when bought new, rather I was just lucky that the previous book owner supplied it with the book.

 

[miha]

Maybe Simon Galley remembers when Ilford issued these reference negatives? Were they supplied on special request only? I would really like to know more about it. Meanwhile I will look for it and show it here.

 

[Ian Grant]

I think the reference negatives and prints were attached to the cover or inside one of the UK Photo magazines. I had them, 1970's I think.

Ian

 

[miha]

Thanks. It must have travelled a long way then as I got it from a bookstore in San Jose, Costa Rica.

 

[Ian Grant]

Thanks. It must have travelled a long way then as I got it from a bookstore in San Jose, Costa Rica.

It's quite probable Ilford ran similar promotions in the US, I know they gave prints of images by well known photographers printed on Ilford paper with a French magazine, I have a Robert Doisneau print from my last visit to Paris (there were a few different images).

Ian

 

[miha]

I too have one of the promotional prints from - I think - William Klein, printed on Agfa paper, that came with a French magazine PHOTO about ten years ago. But the reference negative was aimed at beginners, so that they would know how a good negative and print look like. What is surprising is that the small RC print survived for at least 30 years with no signs of deterioration in a PVC sleeve.

 

[Molli]

I have a Kodak Colour Dataguide from 1968 and another from 1974 which both came with a negative [Ektacolor Professional S - C22 Process] and an accompanying 2x3 inch print. They were definitely part and parcel of the original publication as the envelope's edge is incorporated into the spiral binding.

I really wish I'd been in the right place at the right time to be on the receiving end of some of those prints in the French magazines that Ian mentioned.

 

[ann]

I have one, don't remember how , but I beleive it was in a book put out by Ilford.

 

[Prof_Pixel]

I have a Kodak Colour Dataguide from 1968 and another from 1974 which both came with a negative [Ektacolor Professional S - C22 Process] and an accompanying 2x3 inch print. They were definitely part and parcel of the original publication as the envelope's edge is incorporated into the spiral binding.

I have a Q-60 Kodak Color Reproduction Guide from 1977. The E-4, E-6, K-25 and K-64 color images look pretty good. Not so for the E-3 images.

 

[Ian Grant]

I have a Q-60 Kodak Color Reproduction Guide from 1977. The E-4, E-6, K-25 and K-64 color images look pretty good. Not so for the E-3 images.

Interesting as I've no issues with E3 processed slides but Kodachromes are badly faded, all Fujichromes are fine (E3 process).

Ian

 

[miha]

Reviving this old thread as I have finally found the reference negative and the accompanying photograph I have been talking about: