What exactly is AZO paper?

[Jac@stafford.net]

What exactly is AZO paper?

A few years ago I got from an estate sale a few 100 sheet boxes of very long expired 8x10 of 'Azo' paper. I put it on the big auction site describing it it as Azo and it was taken down by someone claiming ownership of 'Azo". Very strange. I put it back on and it sold for a modest price.

To this day I do not understand what Azo paper is, its virtues considering it expired in the 1950s. I have more (and will not sell it) so I would appreciate the net wisdom from here.

Thank you

[Michael Kadillak]

Azo is a silver chloride photographic printing paper that was manufactured by Eastman Kodak in one name or another from 1898 through about 2008 when Kodak pulled the plug on it. It is a contact printed paper that is extremely slow and does not exhibit the degradation issues that a silver bromide photography printing paper experiences. It lasts indefinitely. I contact print with Azo in a vacuum frame three feet about a 300W light bulb and expose the paper from 15 seconds to well over a minute at times. Azo in the last 10 years + of its existence was consolidated in an offering fixed paper grades grades #2 and #3. That said I still have a box of grade 1 Azo from 1952 that prints marvelously when called upon. Azo invariably needs a long scale (dense) negative to reach its full potential and Michael Smith and Paula Chamlee have spearheaded an effort to promote its replacement which they call Lodima (Amidol the developing agent they use backwards). Hope this helps.

[Wayne]

Azo is the silver bullet that will take you and your Chinese amidol to soaring new heights. I'm scared of heights so I sold mine.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Thank you very much, Michael Kadillak. That is perfectly helpful, exactly what I needed to begin.

I will look further into the efforts of Michael Smith and Paula Chamlee.

[Paul Metcalf]

Well this flyer should be in every box of Azo. http://www.kodak.com/global/en/profe...bs/g10/g10.pdf

What do you mean someone took it down? Not all Azo flowed through M&P in the later years, there were stocks around that were available to the public from which I acquired my limited stock.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Well this flyer should be in every box of Azo. http://www.kodak.com/global/en/profe...bs/g10/g10.pdf

What do you mean someone took it down? Not all Azo flowed through M&P in the later years, there were stocks around that were available to the public from which I acquired my limited stock.

That's great info, Paul. Very much appreciated.

By taken down, I mean I put it on the 'Bay something like 12 years ago and they removed the auction because someone claimed to own the name, or something like that. I've never experienced such a thing again.

My supply came from the estate of a local, old school portrait photographer who worked until about 94 years-old. He used a Century studio camera, Century stand, tungsten and daylight, three lenses, all acquired when he began his business as a young man. He retouched all his work on an old retouching stand with pencils and etching blades. I am sorry that I never knew him personally.

[Willie]

Well this flyer should be in every box of Azo. http://www.kodak.com/global/en/profe...bs/g10/g10.pdf

What do you mean someone took it down? Not all Azo flowed through M&P in the later years, there were stocks around that were available to the public from which I acquired my limited stock.

Michael and Paula were the biggest sellers of Azo over its last few years. Once Kodak announced it would stop production Michael asked about the remaining supply and was assured "we have 5 years of it on hand". He and Paula went to Europe to oversee a book on press and when they returned Kodak was "sold out". A speculator had bought all the remaining stock. Kodak did not even have the courtesy of calling or contacting Michael to let him have a chance to purchase it.

Now we have Lodima, a paper in the tradition of Azo. A labor of love and necessityi by Michael and Paula - they get it made and sell batche to help pay for what it costs them. "Privat label" paper that is excellent.

[Tin Can]

I'm a believer in AZO, and I got a large amount for the right price.

It does seem to last forever and mine was found in an abandoned Midwest darkroom open to the elements.

No dates on yellow boxes, Grade 2 and 3 single weight, 8x10" almost full 500 sheet boxes.

I expect the supply to last my lifetime.

[bob carnie]

When I first started after school I worked for a wedding/portrait photographer..

He and others use Azo for proof prints only , but switched to Cycora for final prints.. there was a huge difference in image quality.. I am talking about the 60's version of Azo and not sure if this is the same emulsion as Lodima.

[Tin Can]

When I first started after school I worked for a wedding/portrait photographer..

He and others use Azo for proof prints only , but switched to Cycora for final prints.. there was a huge difference in image quality.. I am talking about the 60's version of Azo and not sure if this is the same emulsion as Lodima.

Google did not help find out what Cycora was/is.

And was it better?