Very old film

[Gerald-LF]

Hello folks,

I have a very old 4.5x6.5 negative (not a glass plate)from 1880+/-. It has blotches of whit-ish on the negative. It is a very light flexible material, possibly gelatine!
Any ideas on how to clean up such an oldie.:confused:

regards

Ger

[John NYC]

Hello folks,

I have a very old 4.5x6.5 negative (not a glass plate)from 1880+/-. It has blotches of whit-ish on the negative. It is a very light flexible material, possibly gelatine!
Any ideas on how to clean up such an oldie.:confused:

regards

Ger

I believe film was invented/introduced in 1885. If you really have something from that time period, I would not be messing about with it without a photographic expert with you.

[Jim Noel]

This most likely is nitrate film base (close relative of gun-cotton) which can be explosive.
has the emulsion begun to show any bubbles? If so find out from hazardous materials disposal in your are the best way to dispose of it immediately.
If it has not yet begun to bubble, it still can be dangerous. make a duplicate negative the same size - do not put it in an enlarger, then dispose of it properly.

[IanMazursky]

Smell it! If it smells like vinegar then the nitrate base has begun to deteriorate and is not salvageable.
Archivists would duplicate or scan it and then destroy it before it combusts.
I have a whole stock of nitrate film from Eastman Film (france) from the 40’s in my freezer.
Thats a safer way to store it, cool but even then it can go up. Even in a oxygen free environment, nitrate based films can and do self combust.
They generate their own oxygen and cant be put out with water (yes it will burn under water).
And the fumes are toxic! Check out youtube, they have a lot of videos of nitrate films being burned and destroyed by archivists and amateurs.

[Robert Hughes]

Smell it! If it smells like vinegar then the nitrate base has begun to deteriorate
Oops. "Vinegar syndrome" is peculiar to acetate films. Deteriorating nitrate film base gives off other noxious fumes (including nitric acid, which corrodes almost anything including lung tissue). And nitrate film will burn underwater, :eek: so be careful with the stuff.

Any way around, meet with a film preservation professional before you do anything drastic.