Re: Luis Nadeau Answers Chris's questions
Yes Sandy, I almost entirely agree. I think the reason why the secret Fresson process seems to be so sought after is just that it IS ''secret''. It would not be secret anymore and would therefore loose this mystical value if Luis were to authenticate to the buyer that it was, indeed, THE secret. ..if he could do that. What a shame if it were to loose this mythical quality for some.There would, then, be nothing left to drool after. I feel that Luis's best bet would be to use the process, calling it something else, as Echague did, go back into doing prints for others , and let the world see the fabulous results, for which we are all still waiting. Luis once wrote me that there were endless disagreements with him and prospective clients on the issue of how the prints might turn out, maybe contrary to what they expected. The Fressons operate on the principal that the client is obliged to accept their terms of contract, before results, otherwise they will refuse to do any work with the original photograph ( negative ) provided. I can understand why Luis would not wish to get into litigation on some of these points especially when dealing with what might be presumed to be high figures involved in the interests of financial investors All I can really personally hope for is to make as many Direct Carbon prints as I can and that, one day, some entrepreneur will hype them up, when I have shuffled off the stage, so my great grandchildren's lives may benefit. Gee! ! I feel the tears rising. Since I am not planning, at present, on having an exhibition of my Direct Carbon prints at the John Stevenson Gallery, although this gallery does possess a couple of my prints, I am sad that the public in New York is going to be deprived of viewing them. Good news though , as I have been offered a tiny window space in a small shop within the London theatre area. No charge to me unless any prints sell. They will be of local London sights and incredibly cheap for small time investors. But the cost of getting to Charing X Road for Americans would , of course, put up the initial outlay. Specific dates do not apply as it will be a permanent display from August 2007 onwards. Back into the garden for grass mowing and yard cleaning. Later. John -Photographist - London - UK ............................................................................................................. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sandy King" <sanking@clemson.edu> To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca> Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 4:36 PM Subject: Re: Luis Nadeau Answers Chris's questions At 11:14 AM +0100 5/27/07, John Grocott wrote:
Assuming that Ortiz-Echagüe did indeed get the right formula from the Fresson family, and that he did indeed pass this formula on to Luis Nadeau, which I guess he could authenticate, what Luis has to sell is a real Fresson formula and working procedures for coating papers with it. That it, it is not a direct carbon process that works like Fresson, but the real deal. That might have some real value if it could be made into a print making system. It has always seemed to me that the mystique of Fresson is almost entirely due to the fact that the prints are made by members of the Fresson family using a proprietary printing method that around a century old. Even if one were able to manufacture a direct carbon type paper that is superior to Fresson it still would not be a Fresson. On that score, gum bichromate prints are in the same family as direct carbon. The color gum prints made by a number of contemporary workers are technically much superior to color prints made by Fresson, IMHO. But there are still many people who would prefer to own a real Fresson. Sandy King
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