carol_collins Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 I have come into possession of old negatives (60-yrs. old), and some of them are faded--they seem to have lost their density over time. Others are blurred, as if the different tones faded into each other. It doesn't look like it was just blurred at the time of taking. I have searched this forum and the internet for help in restoring and preserving these negatives, but nothing is specific to this situation. Would it help to wash them, then re-fix them, or is there anything else that would at least stop further deterioration? Thanks for any suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mendel_leisk Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 I'd just get them scanned, wouldn't do anything to them physically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_shriver Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 You could be seeing the results of decay of nitrate film base. Gives off a characteristic odor, causes the emulsion to buckle, etc. Alternately, they could have been under-fixed, or under-washed. Or they may be sulfided (silver sheen, especially around the edges). Making the best copy possible first (which probably means scanning digitally today) is absolutely the first step. Film scanning can do very well with thin negatives, it's dense ones that challenge it. If it's not nitrate base decay, re-fixing with a hardening fixer, and re-washing, might stabilize them some. But I don't know if fixer will remove sulfided silver (it won't remove metallic silver), if it did that would be bad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_shriver Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 If it is nitrate decay, there's no restoration feasible. You can stabilize by good ventilation, low humidity, and cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carol_collins Posted February 17, 2007 Author Share Posted February 17, 2007 Thanks, you guys. I guess the best procedure is to scan them first, then give them good ventilation, and clean them. They were stored all stacked on top of each other in a big envelope down in N. Carolina, where it is very humid. Once I have them scanned, I might as well wash them and refix, as I probably have nothing to lose. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_shriver Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 Oh, North Carolina? Could also be fungus. Kodak used to have formulas for killing fungus on films, but I think they are all based on non-banned fungicides. (Too dangerous.) Hunt down an (out of print) copy of Kodak Publication F-30, "Preservation of Photographs". Common on eBay, and on Internet book search services. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_gudzinowicz2 Posted February 18, 2007 Share Posted February 18, 2007 After scanning, you may be able to remove stains and restore the negative. The common procedures are outlined in the following posts to r.p.d: http://groups.google.com/group/rec.photo.darkroom/browse_thread/thread/5913bb0ec1932b5c/e9425703c08e9d24 http://groups.google.com/group/rec.photo.darkroom/tree/browse_frm/thread/94f0d6a4b718ca59 http://groups.google.com/group/rec.photo.darkroom/tree/browse_frm/thread/b0460859cbf8f610/4486162bfe179a78 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carol_collins Posted February 18, 2007 Author Share Posted February 18, 2007 Michael, thank you for those informative links. You've all given me great information and help, more than I anticipated. This site surely is a place to learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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