Robert Hudyma (rhudyma@netcom.ca)
Mon, 31 May 1999 11:22:02 -0400
I have a Portrait of a lady, printed in Platinum, that was probably made in
the 1920's. The portrait was placed in a paper holder that folded over
like a greeting card.
When you open the folder up, the portrait is on the right hand side, but a
very warm soft image is on the left hand side, where the portrait was in
contact with the paper. The effect is really beautiful and I thought that
it was part of the original image that was provided by the studio. But, I
was told that, over the years, the Platinum from the original image had
reacted with the paper that was in contact with the image, which resulted
in a mirror image transferring to the opposite side of the folder.
I made the comment that the Platinum image was archival, and I was told
that although the Platinum was stable, it was still reacting with the paper
and causing the paper to disintegrate.
Some questions:
Once a platinum image is made, will it *continue* to react with the paper
and *accelerate* its destruction? What is the estimated speed of this:
hundreds of years or longer?
Is this reaction, sufficiently slow, or benign so as not to affect the
natural life of the paper that the image is printed on?
How long does it take for an image to transfer in this manner: months or
tens's of years?
Finally, did the Platinum actually migrate to the opposite sheet of paper,
or did the Platinum act as a catalyst to facilitate a reaction with the
paper and the atmosphere?
Very best regards,
Robert Hudyma, Semi-Tech Corporation, 2800 14th Avenue, Suite 511,
Markham Ontario, Canada L3R 0E4. Fax: (905) 475-3652
Email: rhudyma@netcom.ca
The distinction between past, present and future is only an illusion, even
if a stubborn one. - Albert Einstein
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