Irving Penn Platinum

[david clark]

I've just seen the Irving Penn Platinum exhibit at the National in DC. Does any one know what the formula was for the platinum prints? Thanks

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

Penn experimented with many formulas and papers, the prints you saw were most likely double or even triple exposures of the print with recoating each time. If you do a google search you can find a lot of informatin about his procedures.

[Jim_3565]

The formula was listed in one of the display cases along with one of his work sheets.

[Jerry Flynn]

The book that accompanies the exhibit also has a description of the way Penn experimented with techniques. It was quite elaborate: a layer of platinum, exposuer, a layer of paladium, an exposure, etc. It involved a special platten, special adheshive developed by DuPont -- quite the deal, as we say up here in the North woods.