About 8x10 glass plates.

Hi Folks,

I've been gifted a few hundred 8x10 glass plates. Some are pretty dirty, both sides. Was hardener used back at the turn of 1900? Any emulsion side cleaning advice? My plan is to clean them, at least one side, put them in glassines and letter size hangers. Then contact print them later one. The images were taken around Plymouth NH. How about maybe scanning them? Do 8x10 enlargers hold glass negs? I will also be looking for donations from the Historical Society. That is about it.

Emulsion Side Down Regards
Dick

are they collodion or dry plate. either way dont try to clean the emulsion.

How are you storing these plates? Do you have purpose built boxes, or they just stacked up?

Handsome Drew

I have them in plastic sleeves I got from B&H. From there, I put them in hanging letter folders and into a plastic storage container. Open to any advice. They were in cardboard boxes destined for the trash. They are in really good shape considering the abuse, 3 or 4 cracked. Out of 200 only one had emulsion coming off and one, the emulsion is having some old age problems:) I'm halfway through the process. I like the negatives with horse and auto mixtures.

Dick

No . .no advice from me. I am thinking of doing some dry plate photography and looking for options.

Cudoas to you for preserving this old work.

Best wishers.