[alt-photo] a new paper on silver image permanence

Ryuji Suzuki rs at silvergrain.org
Fri May 7 00:31:08 GMT 2010


I was going to defer the public announcement until it appears
on the journal, but I decided to post it now, since I don't
want you to hate me posting just for-sale notices.

I lost my darkroom and lab space last year, and everything had
to be sold or go to a commercial storage space. It was painful
but I didn't have option. While I'm living without darkroom, I
wrote a paper on image permanence, specifically on chemical
treatment to salvage water damaged photographic archive, and
submitted it to Journal of Society of Photographic Science and
Technology of Japan earlier this year. Both anonymous
reviewers and the editor in chief accepted my manuscript and it
should be published soon. The paper is in Japanese language
but English version is in preparation.

This paper proposes a treatment solution containing
gelatin-protecting biocide and silver-protecting agent. This
is because water damaged photographic material can be damaged
through deterioration of silver image or bacterial corruption
of gelatin, and rapid freezer is not always available at
disaster sites, so there needs to be a way to "stop the clock"
while salvaging effort is carried out. The solution only uses
ingredients that were used elsewhere in manufacturing of
silver gelatin emulsions or processing chemicals, AND also
available from common chemical suppliers.

I think this technique may be also of interest to some
practitioners of silver-process other than silver gelatin
process. Especially, those who are practicing experimental
methods that produce interesting results but with poor
permanence. My proposed solution would give silver image
protective effects without using selenium or sulfide toner.

--
Ryuji Suzuki
"The essence of the beautiful is unity in variety." (Felix Mendelssohn)



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