In these times of Doom & Gloom

Just remember that photographers of 3 genrations ago coated their own colloidon plates and made their own albumen prints. And the quality is superb.

However here's a more modern handy guide:
http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_early/1_early_photography_-_processes_-_gelatino_bromide.htm

On a more practical note I must dig out my notes on emulsion manufacture. Papers the one thing I never coated

Ian

Ian Grant said:

Just remember that photographers of 3 genrations ago coated their own colloidon plates and made their own albumen prints. And the quality is superb.

However here's a more modern handy guide:
http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_early/1_early_photography_-_processes_-_gelatino_bromide.htm

On a more practical note I must dig out my notes on emulsion manufacture. Papers the one thing I never coated

Ian

Click to expand...

I'd like to see those.

There are a few emulsion recipies out there, but most are orthochromatic. I think is going to be hard finding out the dyes for panchromatic sensitization...anyhow, something is better than nothing.

A girl beat me out on a old early turn of last centry formula book on emulsions and paper coatings. This on ebay. I offered the cost of the book and to pay for photocopying it. She is in the process of doing that for me. I will post the formulas when I get them.

Sound like the perfect excuse to start scouring those old second hand book stores, especially with the weather closing in.

Somewhere I have a whole stack of emulsion formulae from research I did in the 1970's. Everything from films to various types of papers. I used them to help devise a specialist emulsion which I manufactured for about 10 years.

I never coated it onto paper it was for spray application on painted surfaces for advertising on the sides of vehicles. But it would work fine, maybe needing a little tweaking.

My great grandfather must have made his own glass plates as I remember seeing into his “dark room” and seeing large, maybe 16x22 inch frames. No enlarger but several jugs of some chemicals. I wish I knew what happened to the trays et c. I think one of my uncles made off with them.

The “dark room” was unique. They lived in a house he built following the Civil war which looks very similar to the Grant Wood “American Gothic” painting. My room, after his passing and grandfather’s takeover, was in the peak. There was no central heating – fire places in each room (none in the peak), no running water (except for a spigot over the dry sink in the kitchen – yet another story), and electric via Victorian open wiring.

The “dark room” was converted from the “cubby hole” beneath the staircase. He cleverly cut a hole in the wall. Installed a red glass pane and fitted a shelf beneath upon which he positioned a lantern at night – perfect! There were several portraits he had made around the farmhouse but none survived to gain wall space here. I wonder who has (had?) them. But the biggest mystery and the most troublesome to me is, where are the negatives?