Wellington Borax MQ Fine Grain Developer

Ian Grant · Dec 7, 2021

Ian Grant submitted a new resource:

Wellington Borax MQ Fine Grain Developer - Early fine grain film developer

Historically this is the earliest Fine Grain Developer I've come across, it's listed in the 1921 11th edition Wellington Photographic Handbook as a Fine Grain developer, but it may be earlier.

From the 1880's Wellington had collaborated with George Eastman and later became the manager of the Kodak factory in Harrow, England 1891-3 before joining Elliott & Sons. He set up Wellington & Ward with his brother in law around 1906.

This developer is important because it is the root of MQ Borax...

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Mick Fagan · Dec 10, 2021

Interesting Ian, thanks for that.

There is a spelling error in the DK60a, at least I think it is a spelling error.

Ian Grant · Dec 10, 2021

Corrected Mick, my old laptop keyboard would miss letters occasionally. The W,ellington Handbook mentions the need for fine grain for the small negatives in Verascope cameras, and the subsequent positives. The Verascopestereo cameras were introduced in 1893 and were made well into the 1950's, so fine grain was an issue before the commercial use of 35mm film for still photography.

ian

Nodda Duma · Dec 10, 2021

Thanks for posting, Ian. I think I’ll mix some up and develop some dry plates in it.

removed account4 · Dec 10, 2021

Hi Ian

Was there also some connection between Divide D23 and D76 as well ? I remember reading somewhere (unblinking eye? or some other site ? )
that they were like you know. ... kissing-cousins? ... but I could just be misremembering what I read...

John

gone · Dec 10, 2021

I'll try this w/ 35mm Delta 100. The one roll I shot was developed in F76 and had very fine grain, especially compared my usual Foma and Tri-X films. It was a nice sort of grain too, and the developer in Ian's link may make for even finer grain.

Saganich · Dec 10, 2021

Looks like this could be mixed in a more concentrated formula, maybe 4x. I read somewhere D23 was created as a more stable alternative to D76.

Alan Johnson · Dec 11, 2021

The earlier Tenth edition, probably about 1920 , had a slightly different formula, this may have been provisional while they re-worked things after WW1.
Both Wellington and Ward & Kodak had premises in the upmarket part of London (BJP Annual 1919) , competitors in the UK market.

Ian Grant · Dec 11, 2021

You'll note this earlier version has the same Metol & Hydroqinone proportions as D76

Wellington Borax MQ

Metol 2g
Sodium Sulphite (anhyd) 10g
Hydroquinone 5g
borax 20g
Water to 1 litre

At some point Wellingto altered the formulae (or it was a typesetting mistake), this one above is in the 10th (thanks Alan) & 11th Editions but by the 15th the Hydroquine is listed as 2g per litre,

From the 15th Edition

Ian

Wellington Borax MQ Fine Grain Developer

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