Negative Cleaning

I recently received a box containing some old negatives. The

negatives are family snapshots dating from the 40s and 50s and are of

various formats, from 6x9 and other sizes of 120 film down to a format

strange to me (it looks like 645-sized pictures in portrait format on

film significantly narrower than 120, but wider than 35mm) and 35mm.

 

The storage conditions are far from ideal. The MF negatives are loose

in an old box, and the negatives are covered in a somewhat gritty

dust. The 35mm negatives are uncut, but are rolled in old metal film

cans. I suspect that the 120 negatives are already somewhat scratched

up (I've not tried to print any), but I'd like to minimize any

additional damage.

 

I have two problems:

 

1. How do I clean up the old 120 negatives before I place them in

negative sheets? Compressed air and a soft brush come to mind, but I

am wondering if I should rewash and potentially even re-fix them. Is

there a recommended 'best practice' that someone could suggest?

 

2. I am concerned that since the 35mm negatives are rolled so

tightly, they might break if I tried to unroll them and place them in

a negative sheet. Is there something I should do to help prevent this?

 

Thanks!

 

� Bill

These links may be of help:

http://www.kodak.com/cluster/global/en/service/faqs/faq0700.shtml

 

http://www.picturepocket.com/pages/traditional/filmclean.htm

Hello everyone. Please see my July 14, 2002 blurb in the "Printing & Finishing" forum. I think it will be of help in getting these negs back into circulation. Enjoy, Bill