Research Subject 14b191

[walter23]

I found this negative in the vault of an abandoned research hospital in a remote location (government land way out at the end of some poorly maintained roadways full of potholes and littered with branches and rocks). The drawer was labelled "CLOSED FILES" and the folder the negative was affixed to bore a label which read "RESEARCH SUBJECT 14B191". On reading the files in the folder I learned that this was an animal that had escaped from the facility and was tracked with dogs for weeks until its remains were found. Much of the document was blanked out, including all of the research notes, so I do not know what kind of work was being done with this particular animal, nor what sort of animal it was. What little readable text remained was just an account of the successful recovery of the remains and subsequent closing of the file.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b377/walter2323/mashedup-two-labelled.jpg

[bspeed]

Chupracabra.
And now, you already know too much, Comrade.

[Jim Galli]

Walter, if I were you I'd consider staying quietly with friends and relatives the next few days. I was looking at your picture scratching my head when I noticed Floyd and a couple of the other little green guys looking over my shoulder. They got very agitated and muttered something about a green guy named Alvoord. Then before I could get a word in they were gone and there was a blue-green streak in the night sky. Never a good sign. Blue green means they're in a big big hurry. Do you have a basement?

[John T]

Walter,

I'd be careful. If you were in the US, this might be the last time we would have heard from you. If you see panel vans with mirrored windows outside your door...RUN!!!

Were there any other negs?

[QT Luong]

A cross between Sultan & Mandel's Evidence and Sally Mann's What Remains ?

[walter23]

A cross between Sultan & Mandel's Evidence and Sally Mann's What Remains ?


Should look those up. I'm so ignorant of real photographers..

[Eric James]

Your little paragraph reads like a cliffhanger synopsis of The Watchers by Dean Koontz.

[Rodney Polden]

Any idea what sort of date this might be from, Walter? Kodak 100TMX on the neg suggests it's not exactly from the beginning of time. There was some pretty arcane research done around here, Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands, Vancouver, for those who shall not be named.
Richard Adams wrote a great novel called The Plague Dogs around a situation that has a lot of similarities to what you've found - probably findable in a Victoria library, I would guess...... But what a haunting image! All the abrasions, sticky tape and out-of-focus just seems to add to the mood. Great contribution.

[QT Luong]

Although they are photographers in their own right, in Evidence, the authors acted only as editors. They put that intriguing book together with "found" photographs belonging to archives of government institutions.

In What Remains, among other things, Sally Mann makes close-ups photographs of the bones of her dead pet and decomposing bodies at a forensic research facility, using wet-plate process and broken lenses.

[walter23]

I'll have to keep that in mind for future discoveries ;)


Kodak 100TMX on the neg suggests it's not exactly from the beginning of time.

[Kirk Gittings]

Just curious. Many odd things going on here. Why is the negative cracked as if it were a glass plate? Or was it a regular negative torn and taped back together again? A TMAX negative requires some effort to tear. Why was it torn? It would almost certainly have to be intentional? Torn by them? By you? Why the swirly bokeh like it was a made with a very old Petzsval lens, but on relatively new film? TMAX 100 is new enough (what like the 80's sometime?) that 35 mm would have been the obvious choice for carrying through the woods and shooting a casual document in the field. I'm just saying....a little strange on many levels.

Hummm..........

[drew.saunders]

Kodak 100TMX was available on glass plates until they discontinued that version of 100TMX (vs. TMX100 or whatever they call it now) a few years ago:

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/films/bw/catalog/kodakTMax100ProfessionalFilmTMX.jhtml

Still, it looks like the Cows of South Park may have something to say about it.

[Steve M Hostetter]

I found this negative in the vault of an abandoned research hospital in a remote location (government land way out at the end of some poorly maintained roadways full of potholes and littered with branches and rocks). The drawer was labelled "CLOSED FILES" and the folder the negative was affixed to bore a label which read "RESEARCH SUBJECT 14B191". On reading the files in the folder I learned that this was an animal that had escaped from the facility and was tracked with dogs for weeks until its remains were found. Much of the document was blanked out, including all of the research notes, so I do not know what kind of work was being done with this particular animal, nor what sort of animal it was. What little readable text remained was just an account of the successful recovery of the remains and subsequent closing of the file.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b377/walter2323/mashedup-two-labelled.jpg

Looks like human vertebrae connected to a human hipbone,center right.. Must be one of those reluctant microchip recipiants

[Kirk Gittings]

Kodak 100TMX was available on glass plates until they discontinued that version of 100TMX (vs. TMX100 or whatever they call it now) a few years ago:

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/films/bw/catalog/kodakTMax100ProfessionalFilmTMX.jhtml

Still, it looks like the Cows of South Park may have something to say about it.

I have never seen a relatively modern glass plate. Do they have film ID notches cut into them like this example? Seems unlikely. It looks like a regular negative that has been torn and taped back together.

[walter23]

I have never seen a relatively modern glass plate. Do they have film ID notches cut into them like this example? Seems unlikely. It looks like a regular negative that has been torn and taped back together.

Interesting ;)

[Steve M Hostetter]

looks like a print thats been scratched and then broken glass laid over the surface and copied

[bspeed]

well, Walter23, you have inspired me to submit a change to my Photo class final project. who needs boring portraits anyway :)

Between roadkill, moving baby doll heads, spiders, slow shutter and light, something arty should transpire.

[bspeed]

looks like a print thats been scratched and then broken glass laid over the surface and copied

scotch tape i do thinketh.

[Kirk Gittings]

looks like a print thats been scratched and then broken glass laid over the surface and copied

OP
I found this negative........

The mystery continues.

[eddie]

I found this negative in........


......my camera.

[claudiocambon]

......my camera.

or in my contact printer perhaps? :eek:

[Kirk Gittings]

and since we know he owns a Petzsval: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?p=452096#post452096

I think he is funin' us.;)

[Dave Aharonian]

Look out Walter, Gordo and the BC Liberals have been altered!

You've certainly got me curious as to where the hell this place is??

[Dave Aharonian]

Actually, I think I just found one kinda like that in my backyard! Oh wait, its just waste from the "Victoria Health Unit"......