Kodak B10 plates

[Daire Quinlan]

Hmmm. I got no joy with this in the B&W forum, perhaps this forum might be a better bet.

I got a job lot of 6.5x9cm plates the other day. 4 boxes of a variety of Ilford plates, which I identified pretty readily including speeds (in H&D :-D ). There are 2 boxes of kodak plates though, marked 'B10' and 'photoscript' about which I can find literally zero information anywhere. Anyone any idea? Panchromatic/Ortho? Rough date? Speed? I'll probably end up throwing a few through a camera at the typical 6/12/24 or something to see but a ballpark start figure would be good.

 

[Jerevan]

I don't know exactly why but my instinct says 1940's judging from the package - and "backed" could well mean that it has an antihalation layer.

I'd say start with a 1/3/6/12 iso - I guess you could do a "test strip" by opening the darkslide in steps.

If "P" seems to designate panchromatic, then this could well be B as in Blue-sensiitive which might correspond with the "photoscript" - that is, high-contrast film used for some specialist purpose.

But unless you find some leaflet in the package or someone who remembers the film type ... we are a bit in the dark.

 

[t-royce]

With a name like 'postscript' and all the BACKED shown on the side label I would hazard a guess that they are "backed" for retouching.

You might have some luck calling attention to this to either Mark Osterman or Nick Brandreth both at GEH and on APUG

 

[Daire Quinlan]

If "P" seems to designate panchromatic, then this could well be B as in Blue-sensiitive which might correspond with the "photoscript" - that is, high-contrast film used for some specialist purpose.

The only bit of information that I could glean from a search was buried in a copy of the "Journal of microscopy" that I have no access to, so you could well be right, they might be some specialist process plates. I'll go with plan A then I guess and see what comes out in the wash. I've run through some of the ilford plates with some success :-D

 

[Daire Quinlan]

Ah actually interestingly enough this popped up in a search that I did over lunch
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1945/1945 - 1519.html

Kodak 'uniform-gamma' plates of varied sensitivity for spectography apparently. Dunno how they'll turn out if I try to shoot them in visible light. I'd say blue sensitive but little else for a start :-D

 

[Jerevan]

Interesting find, Daire!

In the light of this new information it is reasonable to assume the plate sensitivity being in the blue/UV spectrum - a bit like collodion wetplates.