U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | Re: Jose Ortiz-Echague and Fresson

Re: Jose Ortiz-Echague and Fresson



Chris,

Art and I may have had some minor disagreements about exactly how Fresson was made, but not I think whether Ortiz-Echagúe used the Fresson process. About that I don't believe there is any doubt at all.

My research shows that Ortiz-Echague began experimenting with both direct carbon (both Fresson and Artigue were available at the time) and perhaps gum bichromate late in 1906. In October of that year an article published in Graphos Ilustrado observed that he was competing in national exhibitions "at a clear disadvantage because of his inability to use the pigment processes, which he is now beginning to cultivate." (my translation from original Spanish). In any event, by 1915 he had become the leading Fresson printer in Spain and continued to use that process as long as the paper was available commercially. When the Fresson family ceased commercial distribution of the paper they provided him with the technical knowledge to coat his own paper, and he constructed a coating machine and thereafter called his process "carbondir" (carbon directo) so as not to offend the Fressons. I would presume that at some point he experimented with gum bichromate and other pigment processes but very early on settled on Fresson as his process.

Sandy





At 12:12 AM +0000 5/22/07, zphoto@montana.net wrote:
This is probably a question for Sandy King and Art Chakalis,
but anyway, I came across an article on Echague which he
actually dictated to Jordan in the American Annual of
Photography 1950.  Therein he talks about his works, LOTS of
pictures, and his processes he uses.  I remember, Sandy and
Art, the two of you having a disagreement about Echague at
the last APIS and couldn't remember what it was about but I
THOUGHT it was about Fresson and whether he used it or not.
SO, if it was, what he says in the article is this:
gum processes 1906- like say 1925, bromoil 1925, after a
couple years he went back to gum processes. 1925-35 he sent
large no.s of works to salons, on Fresson paper.  He talks
of Artigue paper that was available in the early years but
disappeared 20 years ago (written in 1950).  Then there was
Artistique made in France, and Hochheimer in Germany, but
the Fresson paper is what he used by pref for many years.
He also says he went into depth on this process in the 1929
issue of the American Annual.

All this stuff is old hat to the both of you I am sure, but
if perchance you don't have this article, I xeroxed it.
Chris

Assistant Professor of Photography
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Montana State University
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P.O. Box 173350
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