Platinum Prints

[Philippe Grunchec]

I'm not sure that Strand varnished his photographs. I do know he waxed them. Waxing prints will increase the Dmax. I have seen silver prints waxed with spray-on Pledge using a paper towel. Amazing results. The Dmax increases and print does not scratch while applying with a coarse paper towel and is thereafter impervious to fingerprints and scratching of any sort. (No I have not done that on my prints.) You might try it as a test on a platinum print.

According to the late Richard Benson, who worked with and for Strand, "These [New Mexico and Mexico] platinum prints were also invariably varnished to make their surface more transparent. This practice, a horror to the conservator, is one that Strand clung to for his entire career, with the sole exception of those earliest enlarged platinum and Satista prints. If the print was platinum it was varnished to make it shine with almost the luster of a gloss silver print, and if the print was chosen to be in silver it was made on a semi-matte surface [Kodak Illustrator's Special] so that this could be treated afterwards to induce the right sheen".

[Jim Andrada]

Part of the problem with these types of arguments is that they are over philosophy. Arguing a philosophy is akin to debating why one's favorite color is the best. Of course making a gross generalization that "all platinum prints are flat" or "azure is the best color" is simply wrong, but stating



is an opinion, perhaps even a philosophy worthy of consideration.

That said, I'm going to throw my two cents in. I have seen A LOT of flat Pt/Pd prints, many of which are my own, and I am still mystified at the reverence given Stieglitz' (or for that matter, Weston's) platinum prints, when, frankly, they were for the most part pretty lousy. And I don't want anyone to state that the materials at the time were terrible or that the technology was lame or whatever, because Frederick Evans did absolutely STUNNING (by ANY and EVERY MEASURE) work in platinum during the same time period. His prints weren't flat.

Know your materials. Know their capabilities. Know their shortcomings.

A long time ago Carl Siembab's Boston Gallery had a great collection of Frederic Evans's prints stashed away in a drawer. Very very impressive even if you aren't a particular fan of cathedral stairs.

[Jim Noel]

At the time Weston and Stieglitz were working,the world in general was in a dark mood. This was reflected in the art of the day, not just photographic, but painting and prints.

[Tim V]

I’ve seen huge prints made at this place before, they were like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Incredible.