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Drew Bedo
1-Jan-2021, 08:30
I am gearing up to do some dry plate photography. Just now waiting on my first batch of 4x5 plates to come back from Blue Moon. ..getting my feet wet. Eventually will do some in 8x10. What options are there for shipping around exposed 8x10 plates? What works ?

What options are there for storing exposed and developed plates? Will 8 1/2 x 11 1/2 plastic page sleeves work in some sot of file hanger? What do those of you who regularly work with glass plates do?

nerologic
1-Jan-2021, 08:38
I’ve been using Print File paper envelopes. Not sure if some of the plastic holders have enough space for the thicker glass. They’re pretty tight on sheet film already.


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Tin Can
1-Jan-2021, 09:18
Put them back in the same box with paper interleaving

Alan9940
1-Jan-2021, 12:28
Per recommendation from Jason Lane, I use the following from Gaylord Archival for both 4x5 and 8x10 glass plates:

1) GNB45BG - Archival Blue/Gray Barrier Board Glass Negative Storage System
2) GNB810BG - same as above, except 8x10 box
3) 4F451B - Buffered 4-flap Negative Enclosure
4) 4F8101B - same as above, except for 8x10

Drew Bedo
1-Jan-2021, 20:01
lan: Thanks for that. Sounds like a workable plan.

Does any one else use a different alternative? What do other folks do?

paulbarden
1-Jan-2021, 21:30
My collodion glass negatives are stored in Gaylord Archival boxes, with neutral paper separating each negative. Stored vertically, of course, not stacked.

Tin Can
2-Jan-2021, 05:48
Of course Paul, there is always a better archival method as we all learn more over time

Library of Congress and major museum store everything in climate control at a lower temperature, which then requires a slow rise to room temps

They state "Glass plates larger than 5 x 7 inches are ideally stored in cabinets with rigid metal dividers spaced every 1 to 1 1/2 inches."

per https://www.loc.gov/preservation/care/photolea.html

However I doubt any plate I make will survive much longer than I do

I have bought many exposed glass plate negatives stored over 100 years in OE boxes by our ancestors, they made it to my hands in remarkable condition

I also shoot 120 year old NOS glass plate negatives from sealed boxes that are falling apart

I agree there are always better ways

a question, are wet plate properly processed emulsions as sturdy as dry plate emulsions?

Drew Bedo
2-Jan-2021, 06:00
Tin Can: The really old plates expose successfully?

Tin Can
2-Jan-2021, 06:57
My hat to the left was shot with strobes on 120 year old 5x7 dry plate

I highly suggest buying new dry plates from our member J Lane

I was given a box of assorted sealed NOS dry plates all very old

I like to experiment with old things

Modern emulsions are better!

Willie
2-Jan-2021, 07:43
How about framing them for viewing on the wall?
How do you frame Ambrotypes so you can show what you have done?

Any considerations for Conservation framing? Rag Mats or normal? Buffered or not?

How do you keep them from having problems in the future?

MirekM
2-Jan-2021, 08:28
Here you will find how to store, what to ship and how to display and bind your collodions. https://www.facebook.com/mirekmiranowicz

Tin Can
2-Jan-2021, 09:20
I will never use FB again

Many here will not


Here you will find how to store, what to ship and how to display and bind your collodions. https://www.facebook.com/mirekmiranowicz

Vaughn
2-Jan-2021, 09:32
This is what I use for film negatives, but they make they specifically for glass plates also...

https://www.conservationresources.com/archival-storage-supplies/photographic-storage-materials/negative-envelopes-four-flap-style.html

If you click on sizes, the last one on the list is 8 1/16" x 10 1/16" x 1/8" -- for 8x10 plates. They also have them for 4x5 and 5x7 plates.

paulbarden
2-Jan-2021, 10:09
Here you will find how to store, what to ship and how to display and bind your collodions. https://www.facebook.com/mirekmiranowicz

You'll find many of us on this forum don't appreciate it when someone's first post to the forum points to a Facebook page. Myself, I won't touch Facebook content, for love nor money.

Louis Pacilla
2-Jan-2021, 10:19
You'll find many of us on this forum don't appreciate it when someone's first post to the forum points to a Facebook page. Myself, I won't touch Facebook content, for love nor money.

It just seems that 99.9% of the time I agree w/ what you post Paul ( Love your image making more) and this is no exception.

paulbarden
2-Jan-2021, 10:31
Of course Paul, there is always a better archival method as we all learn more over time

Library of Congress and major museum store everything in climate control at a lower temperature, which then requires a slow rise to room temps
a question, are wet plate properly processed emulsions as sturdy as dry plate emulsions?

Hi Randy.
Yes, there are always better ways to store such materials, but I don't have a museum budget, so I make do with standard Gaylord Archival boxes and interleave my plates with acid free paper. It works well for my needs.

Wet plate negatives and tintypes are VERY sturdy once varnished and properly cured, yes. (properly cured means leaving them in a drying rack for at least a week before putting them into storage: the varnish is still a bit soft after heating it and it needs more time to fully cure) I have varnished glass negatives stored this way for over 2 years and so far I have had no problems with the storage technique.

Tin Can
2-Jan-2021, 11:25
Good to know varnish needs a long drying time.

When I make something worthy of archival storage I will step up.

Thank you


Hi Randy.
Yes, there are always better ways to store such materials, but I don't have a museum budget, so I make do with standard Gaylord Archival boxes and interleave my plates with acid free paper. It works well for my needs.

Wet plate negatives and tintypes are VERY sturdy once varnished and properly cured, yes. (properly cured means leaving them in a drying rack for at least a week before putting them into storage: the varnish is still a bit soft after heating it and it needs more time to fully cure) I have varnished glass negatives stored this way for over 2 years and so far I have had no problems with the storage technique.

Nodda Duma
2-Jan-2021, 12:02
Drew, I did some homework before recommending storage methods for dry plates (my recommendations are never arbitrary. :) ). The dry plate boxes and envelopes sold through Gaylord (and a couple other places) are the same products used by Library of Congress and many other preservation establishments. No need to reinvent the wheel here.

Cheers,
Jason

Drew Bedo
2-Jan-2021, 19:08
Tin Can: Your suggestion to buy new from Lane is what I have done in 4x5. What about the ISO 200 plates from Beautiful Thing? Anybody have experience with them?

Mike in NY
25-Feb-2021, 22:02
As others have said, I purchase and use Gaylord archival products for storing glass negatives at the museum where I volunteer as a photo preservationist.

urnem57
25-Feb-2021, 22:09
I just bought the materials for storage from Conservation Resources. Very helpful. The lady I spoke with told me they designed their plate storage products for The UCLA Archive’s Glass Plate Collection.

Tin Can
26-Feb-2021, 05:48
I see Amazon lists something that is 200ISO with no reviews

I never buy anything from Amazon without reviewing all input


Tin Can: Your suggestion to buy new from Lane is what I have done in 4x5. What about the ISO 200 plates from Beautiful Thing? Anybody have experience with them?

Drew Bedo
26-Feb-2021, 07:30
Got back my 4x5 Lane plates. All were exposed at ISO 2 per the label. All plates were severely under-exposed with some plates totally clear and a few with a trace of image if squinting in strong side light.

I intend to use this material again with more exposure.

Is that a good enough review?

Tin Can
26-Feb-2021, 07:57
I was refereing to your question about these https://www.amazon.com/Photographic-Dry-Plates-Gelatin-Process/dp/B06XDGXWFC

J lane Plates work well and I have bought many

paulbarden
26-Feb-2021, 08:22
Got back my 4x5 Lane plates. All were exposed at ISO 2 per the label. All plates were severely under-exposed with some plates totally clear and a few with a trace of image if squinting in strong side light.

I intend to use this material again with more exposure.

Is that a good enough review?

I've found that in the winter months and under cloudy/low light conditions, the 2ASA plates are more like 0.5 ASA or less. To get a good result I have often given 3X what the meter told me.

Mike in NY
26-Feb-2021, 09:19
Here you will find how to store, what to ship and how to display and bind your collodions. https://www.facebook.com/mirekmiranowicz

MirekM, welcome to the Large Format Photography Forum. You will find many different temperaments here. Some members are very inviting, welcoming, and encouraging with their comments, while others are very quick to provoke, rebuke, and show a hostile attitude to those they view as uninitiated, or who don't share their same opinions. I find that behavior obnoxious on a forum designed for the exchange of information, especially when it is directed at someone who has shown no malintent in their own posts. Since your very first post was designed to be helpful and additive in value, you deserved to be properly welcomed, so allow me to do so.

The only individuals on this forum who are entitled to set the tone and rules for content are the moderators, not self-appointed "shadow moderators". There is absolutely no prohibition of sharing Facebook links on this forum. Facebook is a useful resource for those who like it, and is not a useful resource for those who don't. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and you are fully entitled to share yours in your first post, and every post after that. Nobody here earns more rights to express themselves over time with additional posts. So if you want to share a particular resource, feel free to share it. Those of us who find it useful will thank you. Those who don't may simply ignore it, but if they criticize you for sharing it, you can ignore them back. Rising to take their bait usually isn't a productive use of time. There are members here who seem to enjoy provocation as much as they enjoy photography, and some of them enjoy drawing it out as long as possible (you may or may not see that in the posts that follow). I try not to waste my time with them anymore, since I'd rather be in my studio or out in the field. So stick around if you care to; you can learn a lot from the members who are good at sharing what they know while showing basic courtesy and respect for others.

Edited to add this: One of the individuals who finds Facebook useful is also one of the contemporary masters of the wet plate process - Quinn Jacobson - whose Facebook page can be found at this link: https://www.facebook.com/StudioQPhoto/. In fact, he just posted a terrific photo one hour ago.

Drew Bedo
27-Feb-2021, 07:37
Mike: Thanks for that. Sometimes its too easy to make a smart-@$$ remark that does not translate into good natured give and take using the printed word.

But back to the my question in the OP: Has no one had an experience with the faster plates?