Gelatin

[imagedowser]

Looking for a source for photographic gelatin of different melting points and hardness for a gum bichromate experiment. Thanks, Bill

[dwross]

The only source of photographic gelatin I know is 250 Bloom from Photographers' Formulary. "Photographic gelatin" is so-called because it's been purified for silver gelatin emulsion making. That's not necessary for gum prints. Culinary gelatin sources are your best bet for a range of bloom numbers. Platinum leaf is also 250 (but compare the price with the Formulary's gelatin), Knox gelatin is 225, gold leaf=200, and silver leaf=160. Gelatin sold for making molded prosthetics is 300 bloom. That stuff sets up like rubber! Lab supply houses have a number of odd gelatins. I have a 85 bloom beef gelatin that I haven't gotten around to using yet, but I imagine it sets up very soft. Good luck with your experiments. Sounds interesting.

[IanG]

There's a supplier in the UK in Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales, who I think supplies Ilford & Fuji etc, P B Gelatins.

They do sell gelatin in the US as well.

Ian

[BrianShaw]

dwross -- interesting you mention culinary gelatin. I've had that question since many recipes call for "sheet gelatin, x number of sheets" and I just saw one that specified 'gold leaf'. I was going to research that today. Which do you reccomend for a panna cotta?

[dwross]

Which do you reccomend for a panna cotta?

Sadly, since middle-age spread started getting the best of me, I only cook stir-fries and silver gelatin emulsions. (It's not nice of you to mention panna cotta before I've had my breakfast!)

Ian, thanks for that link to PB. I wasn't aware of them. Looks like a very good resource.

[Brian C. Miller]

(It's not nice of you to mention panna cotta before I've had my breakfast!)

If sugar and cream were essential parts of the photographic process, how much would be consumed before the addition of silver to make film? Would film have ever been made? The world may never know...

[jb7]

If sugar and cream were essential parts of the photographic process, how much would be consumed before the addition of silver to make film? Would film have ever been made? The world may never know...

I've always wondered where Linda McCartney bought her vegan film...

[DarkroomDan]

If you are in the US and if you don't need photo-grade and are looking for more than a box of Knox Unflavored Gelatin, BulkFoods has good prices and shipping is reasonable. They used to have a link to specs that listed it as 250 bloom but I didn't see that when I just looked. I know Vaughn Hutchins was using this for Carbon Transfer prints.

Dan

[Jim Fitzgerald]

If you are in the US and if you don't need photo-grade and are looking for more than a box of Knox Unflavored Gelatin, BulkFoods has good prices and shipping is reasonable. They used to have a link to specs that listed it as 250 bloom but I didn't see that when I just looked. I know Vaughn Hutchins was using this for Carbon Transfer prints.

Dan

Me too!

[Andrew O'Neill]

and me!