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Re: Formidine sulphinic acid toner?
On Sat, 4 Mar 2000, Darlington Media Group wrote:
> If you are interested, e mail me off list and I will send you a scan of
> 'Darkroom User' (now called Camera & Darkroom) with the relevant
> information which will get you started.
> Perhaps it may also be of interest to Judy for P.F.?
>
> Cheers ........ Tony McLean
Tony, was that article titled "Why not tone 'em brown?" or something on
those lines? I have one like that from England, maybe from 5 years
ago...? The process was evolved (whether or not invented) by George
Wakefield in the '50s, and called by him "Manotone." (I didn't recognize
the fsa name at first, until I read your mention of thiourea dioxide.)
I came across the formula in an interesting way -- found a little Manotone
booklet at Photographer's Place about 20 years ago ($2). Called the
British Embassy, which gave me Wakefield's address, and wrote him to ask
was "Manotone" still made. By return mail (QUICKER than some tickets I'd
sent for uptown), I got a most gracious & generous reply from him, naming
the chemical. He said the term "Manotone" was his invention for a planned
commercial process, but that he'd given that up for whatever reasons &
happily shared.
I went on to use the toner extensively, but in a particular way: The
booklet said, "don't do thus & such or your silver will plate." But
exactly what I was TRYING to do at the time was *plate,* so I did it and
it did.
The drawbacks of this method of plating (vs the "SS toner" already
published in P-F), was that it was SLOW, much slower than the SS, which
was instant, more or less, and that the chemical, even refrigerated,
didn't last more than a few months. It would still tone, but wouldn't
plate after being stored. Not that it was that expensive, but a bit of a
nuisance to find (as noted!), so when it failed I tended to abandon.
Another problem was that this technique didn't take further toning very
well, as the SS seemed to at the time. (Although I rethought that
subsequently as some of those further colors faded.)
On the plus side -- NO paper base staining, and rich plummy colors, even
without plating very lush. I'd planned to publish all my "Manotone"
formulas in the "toning" issue, which was #3, but ran out of room, and put
off til #4, where I also ran out of room -- and already #5 seems full. But
I will publish them before I perish. Thanks for the reminder.
PS: I also have George Wakefield's book on Sensitometry, and note that he
has a general photography text which turns up occasionally at A
Photographer's Place. Do you happen to know if he's still alive?
Judy
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| Judy Seigel, Editor >
| World Journal of Post-Factory Photography > "HOW-TO and WHY"
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