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Developing really old glass plates?

Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 2:02 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
by Matt_Bigwood
I recently bought an old Thornton Pickard reflex http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattbigwoo ... 333332925/

With it came six plate holders, I opened one to discover a glass plate in it, and judging by the weight of them I think the others are also loaded.

I don't know whether the plates have been exposed, but I thought I'd have a go at developing them anyway. Some of the plate holders have HP3 written in pencil on them, so I'd guess it's Ilford plates in them.

I suppose I'd need to give a lot longer development time for something this old - a friend has already mentioned 'latent image regression'!

Re: Developing really old glass plates?

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 11:58 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00
by IanG
If exposed then they shouldn't need that much extra development, I shot some 35mm HP3 while at school & the dev times were much the same as HP5. 20% extra is usually a safe bet.

Remember that HP3 was nominally 200 ASA until the testing method for the ASA/BS standard changed in the early 60's and with fewer people using meters there was a tendency to over expose.

Ian

Re: Developing really old glass plates?

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 5:22 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
by Matt_Bigwood
Thanks Ian, I'll give it a go, but they may never have been exposed.

Cheers

Matt

Re: Developing really old glass plates?

Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:20 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00
by Fourtoes
Lucky they're seperate plates. You can dev just one and then assess where to go form there. Hope theres something of interest on them. If you get anything post them up for all to see. Good luck.

Re: Developing really old glass plates?

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 3:25 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
by Matt_Bigwood
Finally got round to developing them, but they have never been exposed. Just ended up with glass plates with a layer of base fog.

Re: Developing really old glass plates?

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 3:44 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
by dave_whatever
Matt_Bigwood wrote:Just ended up with glass plates with a layer of base fog.
But is it art? :wink: