Problems with making a contact sheet of old/uncut film

SMcD

Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2020
Messages
1
Location
Marietta, Georgia
Format
35mm
I have come across 20 rolls of old 35mm film (kodak panatomic). They were developed a long time ago and have been kept in an old Leica film holder. The problem is they cannot be cut and loaded into film sheets because they have been rolled up for so long. How can they be flattened, safely, so they can then be cut and loaded into negative sheets?

Unroll and flatten? Cut, load into film sheets and then flatten under some books?

Attached are two photos so you can see what I'm talking about.

Thanks for any help or suggestions,
Sean
 

Attachments

  • 20200625_170233_resized.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 184
  • 20200625_170232_resized.jpg
    1.9 MB · Views: 150

dpurdy

Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2006
Messages
2,673
Location
Portland OR
Format
8x10 Format
In my experience that film will not flatten even if you rewash it all. If it was me, I would get a small sheet of quarter inch plate glass and tape strips down with scotch tape and then lay the glass on printing paper to make contacts. It will not be easy and you won't be able to get a whole rolls worth on one sheet of paper but you will get them contacted. Then you put them in film sleeves in a binder. Anyway that is what I would do.
 

Donald Qualls

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Messages
12,126
Location
North Carolina
Format
Multi Format
I'm with @dpurdy I don't think those will uncurl during this geological era.

Cutting them into strips and archiving shouldn't be too difficult, and taping them to glass will let you contact print them. That's about all you can reasonably do.
 
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…