Vale London Pro Darkrooms

I'm not sure where to post this, but here goes:

http://www.richardnicholson.com/darkroom/

How many of my beloved DeVere 504's (so well photographed here) will end up as scrap? And--compared to the inhumanly neat computer "Light Rooms"--aren't some of these delightfully messy?

Regards - Ross

An absolutely beautiful series! Very interesting to see how others work.

DeVere's, to my mind, are the unequivocal standard by which all others are measured. I was recently replacing my 4x5 enlarger and found several DeVere's for sale. Unfortunately I just don't have the headroom in my basement darkroom. I eventually replaced my D5500 with one of the same and it will serve me well as did my other one...................................but I really wanted a DeVere!! I mean really!

Bob H

Oi!
Where's my 504 gone?
Maybe my darkroom wasn't messy enough though it's still on Richard's website!

These were shot a year or two ago and sadly I know that a few of these darkrooms are no more.

Ross, thanks for this. Really fantastic stuff. Can anyone tell me what's going on with the enlarger table in "gordon bishop associates #2?" Looks like he's got a self-contained timer/easel setup that's way modern. Never seen anything like that before.

Leo

I have a feeling its an on-easel analyzer with roll paper easel. My father had lab and I seem to recall he had something like this in the late fifties / early sixties made by Agfa. Anyway - that's my guess.

Bob H

That most likely is a lucht roll easel . I used one of these for years and years in a couple of different labs I worked in.

36cm2 said:

Ross, thanks for this. Really fantastic stuff. Can anyone tell me what's going on with the enlarger table in "gordon bishop associates #2?" Looks like he's got a self-contained timer/easel setup that's way modern. Never seen anything like that before.

Leo

Click to expand...

nice to see Mike Spry's area, I've long drooled over his lith prints.

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Thanks for the roll easel clarification. It's almost as cool as that monster Durst enlarger (with the 20 foot track) that's on the darkroom portraits thread.

These are amazing!

But, they make me sad - I am 38 and feel like I was born 20 years too late - I can't stand to watch this sort of thing die. I will resist!

These were shot a year or two ago and sadly I know that a few of these darkrooms are no more.

Click to expand...

These were the darkrooms of custom pro printers? I thought I spotted some boxes of RC...

Tom.

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CuS, I was thinking about your comment and I'm torn on whether the evolution (or devolution depending on how you feel about it) of photography from analog to digital is that sad. Personally, I would never have been able to become this interested and involved in analog photography, paticularly processing and printing, if equipment prices had remained where they were 20 years ago. The saddest part of any shrinking art is loss of knowhow, but I'm guessing that you and I are getting more information from this site in a month than we would have in several months of less frequent contact with locals in the industry 20 years ago. And, luckily, there are still a slough of professional photographers out there (many thanks to them) that swear by analog and provide the world with new fine art in the medium everyday. All in all, I feel lucky to have an attainable interest and easily accessible resources to learn more about it. As long as we can secure the longevity of film manufacturing, hopefully we'll be alright. Now, will I be able to say the same about any kids I may have down the road? Who knows. But they'll probably think I'm a crazy old man for using that antique film stuff anyway.

Leo