Questions about old negs and glass plates

[Anne Williams]

On a recent trip, we went to see my husband's gr. grandfather's estate in ME. The current owners have many of the old documents, photographs, etc. that were left there. They were gracious enough to let me borrow some 5x7 negatives and glass plates of the home and gr. grandfather so I could try to print them at home.

They have been stored in a ziploc bag with typing paper between them and look in reasonable condition, but the glass plates have some areas of mildew appearing on them and they look "dirty". I have never done anything with glass plates, so don't know what can be done to wash the mildew off, if anything. Also, I would like to return the plates and negatives in archival storage materials. What is recommended for the glass plates?

Also, I would like to contact print these to look as close to how he would have printed them as possible - very early 1900s. Any advice on paper/developer/toners would be appreciated, also. A photogravure by the gr. grandfather is here: http://www.photographymuseum.com/oldlockl.html

Thanks for any help that you can give.

[Ralph Barker]

What a great opportunity, Anne. Although I don't know enough about negative and plate restoration and preservation to make suggestions, several members here are knowledgeable in that area. Hopefully, they'll chime in with suggestions. People at your state historical society or museum may also be a source of information.

My only useful suggestion would be to make sure you coordinate activities with the current owners of the materials, and have written authorization from them for whatever restoration process you might use. That way, you avoid potential legal issues should something go awry.

[Donald Qualls]

"Turn of the century" (by context, 19th to 20th) contact printing might have been anything from salt prints or cyanotype to fully modern (if pretty slow) "gaslight" contact papers broadly similar to Azo -- possibly even carbon, which was still a commercially supported process into the 1920s. Most common around 1900 was albumen and gelatin POP; developing-out silver gelatin papers were new technology at the time.

VERY IMPORTANT to use a separation ply (thin mylar or acetate sheet, even OHP transparency stock will work) if contact printing to alt-process materials, as any that use dichromates or ferricyanide can bleach the negative if not completely dry. If this happens to a negative I made last year, it's bad, but I stand a chance of going back and reshooting. If it happens to a negative a century old, it's an irreplaceable loss...

[Brian Ellis]

Given the fact that you don't own them and obviously aren't an expert at repairing and restoring glass plates, I'd be inclined initially to leave them as they are, scan them (I assume a wet plate can be scanned) and try using Photoshop to eliminate defects such as mildew and stains as well as creating a "turn of the century" look. If you do undertake to restore/repair them then I'd agree with Ralph's suggestion to obtain the present owner's written permission to do that.

[JW Dewdney]

There's actually NO reason you would need the written consent of the 'owner' of the plates, given that you have the spoken consent of their guardian. The only circumstance under which you WOULD need this - is if you were trying to sell prints made from them.

[David A. Goldfarb]

The old plates are likely to be very contrasty, as was required by the printing processes of the time. Try printing them on Azo or Centennial POP to get the most out of them, if you're not using a handcoated process.

[Brian Ellis]

There's actually NO reason you would need the written consent of the 'owner' of the plates, given that you have the spoken consent of their guardian. The only circumstance under which you WOULD need this - is if you were trying to sell prints made from them.

I wasn't talking about copyright issues, I was talking about the common courtesty of seeking the owner's permission before undertaking a project that entails a risk of damaging the owner's property.

[Frank Bagbey]

I have contact printed a great many glass plates and much prefer to contact them than scan them. The issue of damaging the scanner glass, etc. makes me nervous. I feel I have more control in the darkroom. THEN, after achieving a good print, I can scan it, alter it or retouch it to satisfaction. But, sometimes the look of a contact printed glass plate just cannot be beat! If it has defects it might even add character. Who says everything has to be photoshopped to death? The print quality from a glass plate is the reason some specialize in making their own glass plates to contact.