Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Tue, 25 May 1999 21:41:21 -0400 (EDT)
On Wed, 26 May 1999, Liam Lawless wrote:
CUT
> HYPO-ALUM-GOLD SEPIA METHOD
CUT
>
> Still doesn't exactly say why to fix (apart from "checking" toning), but
> hope that helps. One other thought occurs to me: I don't know if there
> actually is any hypo in hypo-alum, because it may be that all the sulphur is
> precipitated from it, in which case it probably doesn't have any fixing
> properties. When toning with gold, there is some conversion of silver to
> silver chloride which, it could be, remains after hypo-alum toning.
You know a thought occurs to me -- a much simpler explanation of why to
refix after toning than the ones we've been reaching for...
When talking about *archival* processing and why to use *fresh fix*, the
literature says that *used fix* has those subcomplexes of silver, that do
not wash out readily EXCEPT in fresh fixer. In fact I've read that once
they dry in the print they're almost impossible to wash out -- which is to
say, you can't dry your prints and THEN give an archival wash at some more
convenient time.
So if your toning bath has got "hypo" in it, and has had a couple of
prints through it, it is by definition USED fix, would have those
subcomplexes and need FRESH FIX to archivally wash...
> As a matter of interest, the same book gives a Gevaert recipe (GT2) which is
> also stated to give warmer tones than the plain hypo-alum formula (GT1), but
> using lead nitrate instead of gold.
The Malinkrodt book also has some sweet photos of spilled chemicals, which
of course they didn't see the way we see them today -- they meant to show
off their lily white powders. We see, uh oh, a pile of chemicals in the
air ! (Autres temps.....)
Lead nitrate makes some fine bleaches, lead acetate too. (We're not
drinking it, you know.)
cheers,
Judy
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