Mimosa Glass plates

[Schlapp]

I just happpen to have acquired some Mimosa 'panchroma-studio-antihalo' glass plates - sealed. I am keen to try one or two of these as i have the camera and the holder. Would welcome any exposure and developing info that may help. Of course, i do realise that the things mayj ust be over the top as they are old.
many thanks in advance.

 

[Schlapp]

So, seeing I hadn't got any info and on these Mimosa plates plus I was iching to try these, I used my old FDK LF Beast with greaseproof paper as the ground glass - since I have none, rated the plate at 25 asa, expsosed for 2.5 min f16 and developed in 1:25 Rodinal and you know what?








I have a nice image !!! And I am so pleased. Not brilliant artistically or techinically as it happens but an image. A real one
http://www.flickr.com/photos/schlapp/120215725/

 

[John Bartley]

So, seeing I hadn't got any info and on these Mimosa plates plus I was iching to try these, I used my old FDK LF Beast with greaseproof paper as the ground glass - since I have none, rated the plate at 25 asa, expsosed for 2.5 min f16 and developed in 1:25 Rodinal and you know what?
I have a nice image !!! And I am so pleased. Not brilliant artistically or techinically as it happens but an image. A real one
http://www.flickr.com/photos/schlapp/120215725/

It looks pretty good to me. How old do you think the plates are?

 

[Sean]

cool

 

[Schlapp]

No idea how old they might be. Could not find any info. Have 11 more

 

[photomc]

well Congratulations, and Good job!! Think the exposure looks pretty darn on the money...good guess and nice looking glass negative.

 

[Bob F.]

Hey, wicked!

Did a search but only came up with a few isolated mentions of Mimosa Gmbh in Kiel.... Magic that it should come out so well after all this time! Unopened Ilford plates come up on UK ebay from time to time but I always assumed they would be well dead... Who knows now?!....

Cheers, Bob.

 

[Kino]

Astounding!

Bet "photographic plates" will take a leap in search results on Ebay...

It's like a time machine; the men and women who made those plates are no doubt dead now, but they live on in the emulsion.

Wonder if I will leave anything behind that will evoke such wonder?

Good job!

 

[Donald Qualls]

the men and women who made those plates are no doubt dead now

I wouldn't necessarily think so. Glass plates were still pretty common into the 1970s, and were still available *from Kodak* until 2002 (T-Max 100, 4x5 size only -- marketed for scientific imaging where flatness and dimensional stability were paramount). And the Slavich factory (in Ukraine?) is still making them in 9x12 size, though they're about eight bucks a plate by the time they get to Retro Photo in England, and shipping on top of that (shipping to the US is likely to be ugly, too).

I found a reference to Mimosa plates used in microphotography (aka microfilming), from a 1962 UNESCO publication; that's probably the one you found as well. I also saw a reference to a Mimosa print-out paper, likely from the same maker.

Yes, they might well be gone -- but there are still a fair number of folks around, even on the Internet, who were working adults in the late 1950s...

 

[Brac]

I can remember seeing adverts for Mimosa films (rather than plates) back in the 1950's, probably in one of the photography magazines that my Dad used to buy at the time.

 

[Ole]

... and were still available *from Kodak* until 2002 (T-Max 100, 4x5 size only -- marketed for scientific imaging where flatness and dimensional stability were paramount). ...

In Europe they were available in 13x18cm too - I have a pack in my freezer right next to the Slavich 9x12cm plates, and under a box of Perutz Peromnia 13x18cm.

 

[Schlapp]

Another plate exposed! Printed on Kentmere Fineprint

 

[PHOTOTONE]

On the new Harmon Technology website (Ilford b/w film, paper), there is a statement under one of the tabs, that says Harmon has a complete plate-coating line, and would custom make plates under the right circumstances. (I assume this to mean "huge minimum order".)

 

[Schlapp]

Hey great stuff. Anyone for 5x7 panf

 

[AgX]

Actually there had been three Mimosa companies.
Due to German history...

 

[David H. Bebbington]

... Glass plates were still pretty common into the 1970s ...

Just for interest ... when I worked for Ilford (1974 - 1976) I discovered that plates were still available, and as I had a 2x3 Speed Graphic with some plateholders, I bought some plates for this (FP4 I think). I left Ilford when Ilford left its original site at Roden Street, Ilford and moved to Basildon. As I recall, plate production was at Roden Street (by then I think it was the only manufacturing operation on the site) and it was quietly given up when the site was abandoned.

Regards,

David

 

[jd callow]

Is anyone teaching a dry plate method or is this primarily the venue of highly controlled manufacturing?

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

PE is making dry plate emulsions. Because glass is much easier to come by than suitable film base, plates are looking more like the future of handcoated negative media than film is.

 

[jd callow]

That’s good news. As much as I love some of the wet plate work, for myself, I’d prefer a bit more control over the anomalies.

 

[Schlapp]

I will, like BosseB try coating my own glass one day but I do have about 200 plates unexposed!

 

[photomc]

That’s good news. As much as I love some of the wet plate work, for myself, I’d prefer a bit more control over the anomalies.

Agree JD, the idea of dry plates is something I look forward to.