Resensitizing Fogged Albumen Paper

RauschenOderKorn · Mar 15, 2018

I have been able to get my hands on some sheets of original Dresden albumen papers which should be 80+ years old. The paper itself is good, but fogged. I´d like to resensitze it, so I thought about a rehal bleach (maybe a coppersulfate acid rehal bleach).

Has somebody tried this?
Is there a bleach you can recommend or a bleach that should be avoided?

David A. Goldfarb · Mar 15, 2018

My understanding is that commercial albumen paper was not sensitized, and it was up to the photographer to sensitize it, because sensitized albumen paper has a relatively short life span. When I've made my own, I've generally tried to use it within 24 hours after sensitizing, after which it starts turning brown. The unsensitized paper should last indefinitely, though any paper that old could begin to discolor and become brittle, due to acid in the paper, the packaging, or the environment. You can confirm with Mark Osterman at Eastman House. He's active on facebook, and is usually happy to answer such questions.

RauschenOderKorn · Mar 15, 2018

The instructions on the envelope call for printing it out (a little bit darker), washing 5-10 min in a 10% salt solution, fixing and final wash. No sensitizing step described in the instructions. Besides the envelope mentions an emulsion number. The brand is "Cellofix-Papier" by Kraft & Steudel, and the paper is not graded. (This is not the "Sidi" gaslight paper which can be found on the internt.)

It does not specifically say Albumen paper, but given the instructions and that it is a glossy and has a warning that the surface turns yellowish during storage, I assumed it would be albumen.

David A. Goldfarb · Mar 15, 2018

I doubt that it is albumen paper, but check with Mark Osterman. He's very likely to know what it is.

AgX · Mar 15, 2018

In any case its packaging is the nicest I have seen so far...

AgX · Mar 15, 2018

As the name itself already indicates it is not Albumen paper. But collodium paper.

Peter Schrager · Mar 15, 2018

AgX said:
In any case its packaging is the nicest I have seen so far...

Where have you seen the packaging

AgX · Mar 16, 2018

1 sec of googleing

But Google may be moody. So here the link:
https://www.google.de/search?q=Cell...LZsvDZAhWOKFAKHTooBq4QsAQIMw&biw=1030&bih=546

RauschenOderKorn · Mar 16, 2018

AgX said:
As the name itself already indicates it is not Albumen paper. But collodium paper.

Thanks for spelling it out. I was not aware of the German word "Celloidin". Now things make sense ....

Peter Schrager said:
Where have you seen the packaging

Here:

AgX · Mar 16, 2018

-) I assume Cellofix does refer to Celloidin, which itself refers to Collodium. It would make sense at least.

-) No, I meant the more modern packagings with the Elephant.

nmp · Mar 16, 2018

Looks like it is a type of POP paper, a precursor to the more modern gelatin-based POP. You can cut a piece and put it out in the Sun to make sure it is sensitized. If it is fogged already, depending on how much, you can expose a negative and may be use a reducer to clear out the highlight fog in the final image. Could be a collector's item. May be some museum will pay good money for it...

AgX · Mar 16, 2018

There is no question that it is a print-out-paper. The guide on the label describes it as such.

Resensitizing Fogged Albumen Paper

RauschenOderKorn

David A. Goldfarb

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RauschenOderKorn

David A. Goldfarb

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AgX

AgX

Peter Schrager

AgX

RauschenOderKorn

AgX

nmp

AgX

Resensitizing Fogged Albumen Paper

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