Gaslight Paper

[Dirk Rösler]

Hello,

I discovered a new (to me) Fuji printing paper. It is available in grade 3 only and is called "Fuji Gaslight Paper for Contact Print". I have never heard of the term gaslight paper. What does it mean and are there any special considerations for processing it?

Dirk

[David Karp]

Dirk,

Check these out:

http://www.answers.com/topic/gaslight-paper
http://www.viewsofthepast.com/topics/history.htm
http://books.google.com/books?id=eSMEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA262&lpg=PA262&dq=gaslight+paper&source=web&ots=eW-Rp3Z-qG&sig=bgH0JUzYSlfVRzsEiLwWChYjTZw&hl=en#PPA262,M1

I had never heard the term before either.

Perhaps this is a Fuji version of Azo?

[Dirk Rösler]

Thanks David. I bought a pack of 100 8x10 to see what it will be like. Having printed my first 8x10 contacts last week, the "paper's relative slowness in comparison with bromide papers" should come in handy.

I checked more of the Fuji specs and it comes in a wide range of sizes too:

45.7×56.0cm 50sh
25.4×30.5cm 100sh
20.3×25.4cm 100sh
12×16.5cm (half plate) 50 & 250sh
4×5（10.2×12.7cm）250sh
7×24cm (!) 250sh

This should be interesting...

[David A. Goldfarb]

That would be ironic, if there were an Azo substitute right under our noses all this time. Azo was originally called a "gaslight paper," which I think meant that it was a fast paper, compared to papers that required sunlight for exposure, though today I think it would be thought of as slow compared to enlarging papers. Papers like this are usually silver chloride papers that can handle longer scale negs and respond well to amidol.

[Dirk Rösler]

I am not sure whether this is fibre paper though. I bought a box of 100 8x10 and have to try it in the next few days. I have also listed it on my site...

[Ole Tjugen]

Hmmm... Interesting.

Do keep us updated on whatever you find, Dirk!

[Ralph Barker]

But, won't you get a double exposure from the match lighting the gaslight? ;)

[Steven Barall]

How are you supposed to get a lamp post into your darkroom? Can you get a diffusion lamp post or are they all condenser lamp posts? And do you have to have either a wino or a street walker leaning against the lamp post whilst making the exposure. I mean a wino is probably used to exposing but if you go with the street walker you will probably want to expose yourself.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I've seen old ads for darkroom lanterns that had a red safelight filter on one panel and a slide on another panel for making exposures by holding up a contact frame to the light.

[jnantz]

I've seen old ads for darkroom lanterns that had a red safelight filter on one panel and a slide on another panel for making exposures by holding up a contact frame to the light.

i've seen them too david.
i have a 1904 photography annual
that has weird stuff like that in it, as well
as forumulae for gaslight emulsions.
and all sorts of stuff you used to be able to
buy at your neighborhood pharmacy.

[domenico Foschi]

How are you supposed to get a lamp post into your darkroom? Can you get a diffusion lamp post or are they all condenser lamp posts? And do you have to have either a wino or a street walker leaning against the lamp post whilst making the exposure. I mean a wino is probably used to exposing but if you go with the street walker you will probably want to expose yourself.

If you use a red light, definitely a street walker .

[Michael Wynd]

My nickname is Wyno, so if you want i can stand under the gaslight for you. If it was a street walker, would she be Fanny by gaslight?
Mike

[David Karp]

According to the article in the third site in my post above, the original gaslight papers were so slow that they could be handled in an ordinary room under artificial light, if the paper was ten feet or more from the light source! Pretty amazing given what we are used to. I guess the safelight was for those situations where you could not get ten feet away from the light source.

Dirk: Have you tried this stuff yet?

[Dirk Rösler]

Have not had the time yet, hopefully later this week.

[Stephanie Brim]

I'm interested pending results. I see that it's up for sale through your website.

[Dirk Rösler]

Hi -- I finally had the time to take this paper for a spin. Disclaimer: I have not wet printed for a long time and especially never with the Fuji materials (paper developer today was Fuji Super-Korectol-L).

First things first: it is an RC paper, medium weight and it is glossy. That probably violates several commandments of the fine art photography world. This is probably a disappointment for some people, but not for me. Here's why:

Like meeting a rude person, what first strikes you is the lack of sensitivity of this paper. My other stock (Fuji Bromide, RC, graded) had exposures between 1-2s with my setup, which is why I have a darkroom timer hooked up to the bulb. With this paper I exposed for 100-150 seconds! Yes, that is very long but I found it gives me amazing precision for exposure (no fractions of seconds to worry about) and even a kitchen timer will do. The lack of sensitivity should also be beneficial for people with makeshift darkrooms that are not totally light tight (within reason).

So for me this paper will become my new standard stock at least for work prints and proofing. It helped me already making better prints because of the longer exposures. You can dodge as much as you want in that time period and really look at the negative in the contact printer while thinking what to do with it.

The prints themselves show a very pleasant tonality as far as I am concerned. Contrast just right for me at grade 3 (a matter of taste and how your negatives look like; I have seen last stocks of grade 2 version, but going forward it will only be made in 3). The image is crisp and blacks are rich and deep where you want them. Overall the grey is nice and neutral. This is a very user-friendly paper for contact printing and I am very pleased with it. Unfortunately I was told earlier this week that Fuji paper prices will go up by 10-20% in summer so I will stock up a bit.

Attached some straight scans, although they are probably meaningless. I have tried to make them look on screen like what's on paper, but alas, we all know the difficulties of this. They show on screen still too contrasty and a bit muddier than in reality.

Hope this gives you a good impression of this paper.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Thanks for the report. Nice glow off the metal slide, in the scan at least.