>Chicago Albumen Works sells POP paper. (In fact, I understand that's all
>they carry, as they no lomger make the Albumen paper....)
Yes, we sell the Centennial POP manufactured for us by Kentmere, Ltd. And
in reference to Chris Fox's posting, Centennial is now available in the UK
from Robert White Company. Please contact us off list for the complete
address, as well as addresses in other European countries.
However, we do still make albumen paper when called for on a printing
project, as we have always done.
We never did sell albumenized paper for the following reasons: 1) we have
only a limited supply of the thin rag photobase that it is coated on, 2)
sensitized albumen paper has a very poor shelf life, and 3) there wasn't
much demand. So given the fact that the user has to learn all about the
infamous silver sensitizing bath, as well as toning and fixing, coating the
egg whites seemed to be the simple part.
In albumen printing, the age and characteristics of the sensitizing bath
have as much or more to do with the hue and contrast of the final print
than does the toner, especially when trying to reproduce the character of
historical prints.
The companies that albumenized paper had it easy. It was the folks who kept
each studio's sensitizing bath clean and properly replenished who are the
heros of the process.
Doug Munson
Chicago Albumen Works
Front Street
Housatonic, MA 01236
413.274.6901 tel
413.274.6934 fax
albuwrks@bcn.net