8x10 enlarger

[lee_nadel1]

i live in asmall town in ma. i am starting top rint and archive an extensive collection of glass plates taken by a women photographer in the 1880's to early 1900's does anyone have an 8x10 enlarger they could donate or need only a small compensation so i can print 6/12 x 8/12 plates we are non- profit and would use any help for fund raising to help build an archive thanks a lot lee nadel

[dan_smith]

The fact that the photographer was a woman is nice, but it is the

quality of the images that should matter.

Why not make contact prints of the images. This will replicate the

conditions of print making from the era they came from and will

lessen the need for an enlarger and lens, thus keeping the costs to a

minimum. Take a good look at Amidol and Azo as a combination for

printing the plates, or mix your own solutions of platinum,

palladium, carbon or other processes that may have been used at the

time. If you do go the Amidol/azo route, check Michael A. Smiths

formula in View Camera. The results are excellent and the paper dates

from the time of the plates you have.

As for donations, you might find someone to do so. But be aware that

as much as many might like to donate, we all have local schools, arts

organizations, museums and historical societies where we live that

are also asking for donations-equipment, time and talent. The delimma

you face is the same as most small organizations, it never ends. The

contact print route is probably the safest, least costly and

historically accurate way to solve the problem.

[sean_yates]

You can get the complete Michael A. Smith article on-line at his

website www.michaelandpaula.com

[peter_hughes]

Lee,

 

<p>

 

I think yours is an extremely worthwhile project. Women have been

written out of history for too long.

 

<p>

 

I agree that contact printing is the way to go. But don�t be

intimidated by the �Azo/Amidol� stuff, let alone platinum, palladium

or carbon printing, which are highly esoteric and expensive processes

which only a handful of people today have mastered. Any good

enlarging paper will give you fine prints if you know how to use it.

 

<p>

 

http://www.ravenvision.com/rvapeter.htm

[pat_j._krentz_29_palms__ca]

Sean, is that the right website for Michael Smith, I tried it and got

nothing. Pat

[sean_yates]

I don't know Pat, it's http://www.michaelandpaula.com. Maybe try

copying this to the address line of your browser?