Shooting on 1936 dated Kodak Verichrome

I was antiquing this past weekend and found an interesting curiosity, a roll of 120 Kodak Verichrome film that expired in May of 1936. I paid a few dollars for the roll, the box was already torn open so being the experimental type I figured why not go further.

 

The film was still sealed in a paper wrapper, So I opened it, loaded it into a No.2 Brownie model F and went off to see what images this film could still make 84 years after its expiration. This film probably had an exposure index of 25 to 40 when new, so I made brackets of three exposures at 2, 4 and 8 additional stops of light to compensate for age.

 

As it turns out the middle exposures were the best. Sadly, I was not able to develop the whole roll, as the adhesive holding the film to the backing paper failed and some of the film got torn in the camera. I was able to get these two exposures off the roll though.

 

I started with a 30 minute prewash to soften the emulsion. Development was done in HC-110 dilution A at 68f for 5 minutes, followed by a 2 minute stop, 10 minutes of fixation with Ilford Rapid Fixer and a 60 minute wash. Evident defects in the film include the fog, which progressed from the edges of the film inward, and one area on the first image where the emulsion became stuck to the backing paper.

 

Overall, I'm impressed with how well the undamaged areas of the film turned out given their age.

 

Very nice! I always enjoy experimenting with this stuff, and as you've shown often times the results can be surprisingly good especially with slow speed film.

 

You ran into the same issue I did a year or so back with a 1950s roll of Super XX. In retrospect, I should have used a "straight path" camera like my Super Ikonta(which also would have been era appropriate) rather than my Hasselblad(which honestly isn't terribly newer than the film was). I couldn't develop it because, in making all the bends around a Hassy magazine, the tape caught, and all but the first couple of frames of both film and backing paper ended up shredded to bits.

 

It's very satisfying when you do get something, though.

Yes, if I ever have the opportunity or desire to shoot on film this old again, I will be sure to unroll it in the darkroom and re-tape the film to the backing paper to ensure it doesn't come off in the camera.

I had last year a roll of VPL in my Brownie 2(F). I suspect that is rare.

 

I had some V116 some time ago, but didn't get any results from it.