Josef Sudek


Harald Leban (HLEBANPHOT@compuserve.com)
Mon, 04 Jan 1999 11:27:36 -0500


Nachricht geschrieben von INTERNET:isabella32@earthlink.net
>Hello,

  Got the "new" Sudek book for Xmas. It's the $125 monster edited by
Anna Farova. Text is horrible, images are amazing. I am quite familiar
with the pigment process that Sudek used, but am curious about some of
the other processes. Namely, what would his working darkroom process
have been? How would he have developed his film (pyro, D-76)? What sort
of paper developers? There is mention made of "tinted" enlarging papers
that he used to make some of his images. What would his choices have
been? DId he tone his images? I have checked all the books in my local
library for this type of info, but without much success. If anyone out
there knows, or knows where I could look, I would be grateful. Happy New
Years to everyone on the list.

regards,

WIlliam Linne<

William,

on March (last year) my platinum work was part of a show at Gallery
Faber-Vienna where also works of Josef Sudek could be seen.
So I had the chance to view and handle about thirty of his photographs -
all contact prints on his prefered papers:

Neobrom Neovera, Neobrom Chamois and Neobrom Neotona

Neobrom was a manufacturer of very fine Photographic papers since 1914 but
closed his production in 1998.

NEOVERA was the last real "gaslight" contact paper with very low light
sensitivity and flat contrast - ideal for printing high contrasty platinum
negs.(grade 1-2)
It īs coated with a rich silver Chloride/iodide emulsion and if developed
in Metol/Hydrochinon it came out with a really olive green colour - most of
the Sudek īs work are printed on it - probably untoned.
Another characteristic of this paper is the silk-screen surface - like the
portrait-papers.
Itīs a real contact paper because itīs sensitivity is only 10% of a
enlarging paper.

NEOTONA formerly called Neogaz paper is an enlarging paper but often used
as contact paper only - so by Sudek.
It has a high glossy surface and a contrast grade about 3 .
It has a Silver chloride/bromide emulsion and comes out with a warm black,
slightly greenish.
through the glossy surface all details come out very sharp - some
landscapes of Sudek I īve seen on it.

< There is mention made of "tinted" enlarging papers
<that he used to make some of his images. What would his choices have
<been?
This paper could be the CHAMOIS paper - it has a natural white(yellowish)
paper base and I think a similar emulsion like NEOTONA but with silk-screen
surface.

A friend of mine distributed Neobrom papers here in austria and so I had
the chance to work with it, too but as I said the production has closed and
Neobrom was killed by "Investment-sharks"

Some Czech artists namely Vaclav Jirasec are still working on this papers
and safed the rest of the last productions.
Other well known artists like Drtikol, Saudek, Berka .. have printed on
these papers,too.

As film developer I think Sudek used the Czech standard - the
Hydrochinon/Metol developer or Glycin developers.

I hope this informations will help you

Harald

 
 
Harald Leban
hlebanphot@compuserve.com
platinum work : Aperture Gallery
http:\\www.aperture-photo.com
(view the platinum room)
 



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