[alt-photo] Re: coffee and cyanotype

[Christina Anderson]

Cyanotype as in the subject line :)

One thing about subject lines: I now have only one year left of the 1994-2004 archive to go through (as I said, 60,000 messages). I have come to appreciate the complete importance of subject lines. I would open 60 emails at once and discard (10 per minute) quickly, just keeping what I was interested in (about 6 processes) and sometimes I would miss something about an important subject if the subject line said "if wishes were swans" and it was about gum!

What I think interesting, in answer to Ryuji's question of why not tannic acid is this: I have always used tannic and gallic as per Ware's suggestion that these two were the most archival...I have them in pound jars, very easy to use. But Rob mentions DEVELOPING in coffee (no wash water first and toning later!) and that is what intrigued me.  I think developing in a tray of tannic or gallic would get costly as you'd have to throw the tray after a session as it gets all blue. I keep a gallon of the tannic mixed up. But everyone (mostly) has leftover coffee in their pots on a daily basis so how cheap would that be!
Chris
PS I will continue to post these unique "blasts from the past." But I promise you, no stain test regurgitation!

Christina Z. Anderson
christinaZanderson.com

On Jan 13, 2012, at 12:57 AM, Paul Viapiano wrote:
> Is Rob talking about gum prints or cyanos, or...?
> Interesting...
> Paul
> 
>> Interesting post from 2004:
>> From: RHobbs3 at aol.com
>> Date: 09/09/04-06:34:42 PM Z
>> Message-id: <e5.a9def0.2e7250a2 at aol.com>
>> I have used old cold coffee for my first wash. Coffee has an amazing
>> collection of acids, which change depending on the darkness of the roast. If I cover
>> the print with coffee and let it sit for a minute or five then proceed with
>> the wash, my final blue shifts toward gray or black. I suspect the tannic acid
>> in the java is what does this.
>> For some reason, I get less staining of the paper base this way than I do if
>> I make the print first and tone in coffee later.
>> 
>> Rob Hobbs
>> Christina Z. Anderson
>> christinaZanderson.com