When I have tried modern Kodak selenium toner on albumin prints, the
image tends to bleach with very poor results.
I found this formula last night in the 1925 issue of the British Journal
of Photography Almanac (Issue #64, pg 276). I have not tried it, nor did
the article say what color/tone the final print becomes. Remember,
selenium is a toxic compound in its pure form!
Selenium Toning on Printing-Out-Paper
Prepare a 3% selenium solution in 20% anhydrous sodium sulphite
Then prepare the following:
Selenium solution 5cc
Hypo 325 gms
Water 1000cc
It is colorless and keeps indefinitely.
Before toning the print must be free of all silver salts to preserve the
purity of whites. It is recommended to wash the print, the do a short
fix in 20% Hypo, then wash again. Tone for 3-4 minutes. 35 oz of toner
will handle 80 6.5x4.75 inch prints.
Was it B&S that acquired some selenium for experimentation? I wonder if
someone (who has the chemicals on hand) could try this out and give us a
report.
Paul A. Lehman