Photographic Preservation

There is nothing more distressing than coming across historic images that have been badly damaged by poor storage and handling.

 The papers and emulsions that made up the bulk of photographic records of last century were sturdy enough things to start with but when people failed to take care of them they frequently did not survive the lives of their subjects.

The autochrome on the top of the post is an example -the original plate was made with multi-coloured grains of starch that were dyed dufferent colours and then exposed through a tri-colour filter pack to yield some of the first colours shots. Unfortunately starch is ideal for the growth of mould if there is a damp and warm atmosphere. And it is nearly impossible to remove it without losing the image.

It's not just a matter for the antiques either - you can find paper prints from just a few decades ago that have been left out in the sun, or marked with stains and careless handling in every family photo shoebox - frequently they contain real information that you want but the condition has beteriorated past all saving. And the notorious sticky-sheet albiums of the 1970's and 1980's proved no better.

I will say that the manufacturers of the materials did not help in the mid part of the century. The Kodachrome slides stayed very well, and we can all be grateful for the fastness of the colour of both the original Kodachrome A and the improved Kodachrome II. But the Kodacolor films and particularly the Kodacolor prints avaiable in the 50's contained dyes that have proved so fugitive as to defy even the best restorative programs on the Epson scanner or the computer programs.

Really, when you see the sorts of problems that occur for the dedicated historian or just the family picture collector, you really do have to thank your lucky stars that we are shooting digital these days. We just don't have these sort of problems.

Space Invader

Bom. Bom. Bom. Bom. Bom...

Well it's not that bad. I came upon this Pelican case in the shop today. It is the 1690 case and it is the biggest thing you have ever seen that was never a Queensland road minister. It is so big that there are expensive Parisian apartments in a good arrondissement that have less interior space. It is so big that you need council permission to keep it on the front lawn.

In short, it holds a lot of gear.

The actual interior capacity is quoted as .191 cu metre or 6.73 cu ft. It has enough capacity to take far too much gear. If you are addicted to loading everything you own into one box, this is the box.

It has all the usual Pelican waterproof construction - O rings and latches and well-spaced hinges. The length of the box is such that Pelican have included a supplementary tongue and socket to prevent the case wall and channel from moving sideways.

The carriage side is also extremely strong - note the cast polypropylene feet to keep the retractable handle mechanism out of the dirt. Also please note that the end handles are made with recognition that this will be a four-handed lift once full.

You may be forgiven for thinking that it looks a little like the black monolith in " 2001 - A Space Odyssey "...

And finally the interior contents. That is a great deal of Pick and Pack cubed foam - configuring this one will take a couple of days of planning before you start digging out the space for your gear. It pays to make paper templates and to think in 3D like a Tetris game before you start. You can get replacement panels for the three foam levels but if you plan ahead you will be happier.

Pelicans can withstand the toughest treatment while protecting the equipment entrusted to them. What is really needed with this one is a Model A luggage rack to strap it to - ask the staff to order one for you. The 1929 sedan model is very popular in Chicago. Doesn't show bullet holes...

www.cameraelectronic.com.au 

Lady Of Spain

It's an old photographic joke - the collapsible bottles look like concertinas. No end of darkroom workers have squeezed them while dancing around in the dark whistling Lady Of Spain.  Their wives and children wince but there is nothing that can be done about it.

We discovered a mother lode of them in the back shelves of the storage area recently. Buy a set to put your darkroom chemistry in - If you've mixed up a big batch of developer and want to use it in small increments you can squeeze the bottle down to reduce the amount of trapped air and thus retard oxidation of the mix.

They're only $ 7.50 so there must be a lot more things you can think to do with them. Hornpipes....