Amidol

[Tony Lakin]

Hi
I have been given an old brown bottle labeled 'Amidol' it contains about 100 grams of small black crystals which may have a slight red tinge to them, can anyone advise if these really are Amidol and if so could they be used to make up some print developer, all the info I can fin on the internet describe Amidol as a fine white powder.
Any help would be greatly appreciated

Tony

[Gene McCluney]

I believe Amidol turns black over time, but from what I have read, may still be used in developer formulas. Some Amidol is dark when fresh. I have also read that some Amidol leaves a sediment when mixed, which should be filtered out before use.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Fresh amidol should be green. Most amidol is black or grey. Amidol kept dry in the bottle lasts a very long time. Try the formulas recommended at www.michaelandpaula.com. With papers that respond well to amidol, like Azo and Efke Emaks, you can get excellent results.

[Tony Lakin]

Thanks guys I'll give it a go, incidentally Amidol is very expensive in the UK and when I tried to order some from the photographers formulary they told me that it is illegal to ship Amidol outside the US, I have not tried another supplier in the US.
Regards
Tony

[Bill_1856]

The stuff seems to last forever chemically, although the color changes.

[Merg Ross]

Amidol turns black with age, but still performs well. I am working through a batch that was purchased over fifty years ago. Be sure to filter the solution before use.

[Tony Lakin]

Thanks again to everyone, the Amodol I have looks the same as Mergs sample, I look forward to mixing some up and trying it.

[Jim Ewins]

As a powder it can be toxic - handle with care. Michael & Paula should have suggestions

[David A. Goldfarb]

Handle with gloves, and avoid breathing it. It's a good idea to wear at least a dust mask when handling the powder. Amidol also stains everything. After measuring it, you may notice little black spots around the weighing area. Wipe them up right away, before they stain. If you put your hands in amidol developer, you'll get black fingernails like Edward Weston and Paul Strand. I use tongs for smaller prints, gloves for larger ones.

[Nathan Potter]

David, years ago I accidentally spilled some Amidol on my Massachusetts darkroom floor and didn't get it completely cleaned up. My daughters cat ended up with black feet and I ended up with perfect paw prints on the vinyl darkroom floor.

It is toxic to inhale so the dust mask is very advisable if the stuff is finely ground or there is a bit of residual fine dusty powder present.

Nate Potter