From: Joachim Oppenheimer (jo.achim@verizon.net)
Date: 07/12/03-03:22:52 PM Z
I have used an 11x14 one for many years and I have seen George Tice contact
print on his smaller 8x10 size box, also a Burke & James. I believe in 1939,
as a youngster, I built my first one as a school project that didn't work
very well. The bulbs in the commercial boxes I have seen and used employ a
bank of conventional low wattage frosted bulbs. The paper used is generally
chloride - slow but with a broad tonal scale - paper that is not suitable
for enlarging. The frosted glass shelves allow for placement of scraps of
paper that act as dodging tools (Photoshop 7 users please note). These
chloride papers take selenium and gold toning extremely well. The bromide
papers were developed to allow faster speed for enlarging and - for those
who recall using them - the chlorbromide papers were a compromise between
the two that worked very well for the enlarger but a tad slower, and were
ideal for long-scaled portraits and landscapes with strikingly rich tones.
There are still some chlorobrome papers on the market, but the popular AGFA
is long gone. I have not seen the bulbs you describe but I have no doubt
that later models than I have had experience with may well have tried to
jazz up the printing speed. I never could get bromide enlarging paper to
work even when I cut the voltage down with a rheostat, but there is no real
purpose to trying to use enlarging papers - I tried the rheostat to help
prolong exposures. You are right about the azo paper, it's still available.
You may want to see View Camera Magazine May/June 1998 and March/April 2000.
I believe that Michael Smith has the paper for sale in some contrast grades
in 8x10 and 24" size. BTW, it keeps very well in the fridge and freezer.
Joachim
-----Original Message-----
From: Etienne Garbaux [mailto:photographeur@softhome.net]
Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2003 11:23 AM
To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
Subject: Re: Old "Chloride Paper" Contact Printer?
Ray wrote:
> Recently I obtained what I imagine is a contact printer...
These were used primarily from the '40s through the '60s, and less
regularly into the '70s. The four frosted glass "shelves" serve two
purposes. First, even diffusion of the light to eliminate hot spots.
Second, a place to set tissue paper to dodge areas of the print (the
farther down the dodge mask is, the more gradually it works). The
safelight is designed to allow viewing of the effect of the mask.
The bulbs would typically be argon discharge lamps with high actinic
output, not regular incandescent bulbs (argon lamps are like neon bulbs,
but glow purplish-blue instead of orange).
You will probably find that exposures on enlarging paper are very short --
too short for easy control. But conversely, exposures on most alt
materials -- POP, Pt, etc. -- would be much too long to tolerate. These
were made for slow chloride DOP, which is much slower than enlarging paper
but much faster than alt processes. Perhaps substituting small
incandescent lamps would slow it down enough for enlarging paper. Or, get
yourself a big stack of Azo and use it as it was intended to be used. :-)
Best regards,
Etienne
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