Separating Stuck Together Prints & Albums

L
Posted By
LinusF
Jul 29, 2004
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1051
Replies
10
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Closed
I am digitizing and cleaning up a large number of photographic prints and home albums collected in the family from the late 1880s through about 1970. I have gotten to a point where I find a number of prints have stuck together emulsion to emulsion, emulsion to backing, and backing to various album pages. What are the hot tips for attacking this problem? Thanks
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JH
Jake_Hannam
Jul 29, 2004
LinusF:

What we used to do in the photo lab was to resoak the prints in clear water to separate them and then dry them again.

That is VERY dangerous when dealing with old, one-of-a-kind photos but it might be your only solution. If you try to pull them apart, you risk pulling off some of the emulsion.

Maybe someone else has a safer alternative you can try BEFORE you try soaking the prints again. Give them time to respond …

Jake
L
LenHewitt
Jul 29, 2004
Linus,

A re-soak is likely to be the only way, and at least with old prints the paper will be fibre-based and so will soak right through to the emulsion.

Of course, it also means a bigger problem then drying them and keeping them flat, and of couse glossy prints will lose their gloss finish, and re-glazing without a hot glazing machine is NOT recommended with irreplacable prints
MM
Mac_McDougald
Jul 29, 2004
I always used Photo-Flo solution rather than just water.

M
FN
Fred_Nirque
Jul 30, 2004
Also use the photoflo solution at up to 70 degrees F (no warmer! – a very cold solution will hinder progress), and do not physically try to pull the prints apart – let them separate and float free on their own. The emulsion will become extremely fragile whilst wet. The warmer the soaking bath, the softer the emulsion will get. Colour prints will be more fragile than B&W as a rule.

Stand the prints on edge on a blotter to drain after separation rather than wiping them, then lay them flat (face up) to fully dry. Do not allow anything to come in contact with the wet emulsion, and do not use extra heat to dry them.

As Len has already indicated, fibre-base prints (generally B&W prior to early 1970’s, colour prior to late 1960’s) should separate, but if the prints are resin-coated and well stuck together, a good result is most improbable, particularly with glossy originals.

Experiment on what you feel are the least important prints first to get an idea of the correct temp/time needed before committing the collection.

As a further caution – if there is any sign of mould (mold) on any prints, DO NOT soak them – the emulsion will most likely dissolve. There were also a few non-gelatine/silver processes in use around the turn of the 20th Century that do not take kindly at all to being soaked in water, so if unsure, do not proceed. Seek advice from a professional conservator.

Fred.
JH
Jake_Hannam
Jul 30, 2004
Thanks, Mac and Fred. I had totally forgotten about Photo-Flo. If I remember correctly, the Photo-Flo will help minimize water spots during the drying process. It’s been over 20 years since I was in a wet lab. I definitely agree that it is safer than plain water.

I also didn’t know about the mold issue. Thanks for that Fred.

I hope Linus has success.

Jake
MM
Mac_McDougald
Jul 30, 2004
If I remember correctly, the Photo-Flo will help minimize water spots during the drying process. It’s been over 20 years since I was in a wet lab. I definitely agree that it is safer than plain water.

Does that by breaking down surface tension of the water, makes it "wetter" in a sense. Able to work in between stuck paper better.

A pint of it makes 24 gallons of solution, I see it’s also still sold in 4oz bottle.

Mac
L
LinusF
Aug 1, 2004
Thanks. I’ll let you know how it goes.
RH
r_harvey
Aug 1, 2004
In addition to Photo-Flo, you can use very diluted plain Lux liquid (not the new fancified lemon-scented, biohazard stuff).
RH
r_harvey
Aug 3, 2004
From Kodak <http://www.kodak.com/> publication AE22

REMOVAL OF FUNGUS FROM NEGATIVES AND SLIDES
You can remove most surface fungus from negatives and slides by gently wiping them with a KODAK Photo Chamois, a soft plush pad, or absorbent cotton moistened with film cleaner. DO NOT USE WATER OR SOLUTIONS THAT CONTAIN WATER to remove fungus, because fungus growth usually makes the emulsion water-soluble.

Remove slides from cardboard or glass mounts before you clean them. Clean the film and glass mounts and place them on a piece of window glass to air dry. To accelerate drying, warm the window glass by mounting it a few inches above a low-wattage light bulb. After approximately 10 minutes, you can remount the film in clean glass mounts or new cardboard mounts. Wear clean cotton gloves to avoid getting fingerprints on the film. DO NOT DRY FILM UNDER HIGH-INTENSITY LAMPS OR IN SUNLIGHT.

Note: There is no satisfactory method for complete restoration if fungus growth has etched or distorted the film emulsion.

REMOVAL OF FUNGUS FROM PRINTS
Fungus growth will appear as dull spots on the surface of prints. You can usually remove these spots by wiping the prints with film cleaner as described above.

If fungus damage is minimal, you can have a copy made, and retouch it. If fungus damage is extensive, the emulsion layer will strip off the print, and restoration is usually not possible. Discard the storage containers in which the damaged prints were stored.
FN
Fred_Nirque
Aug 3, 2004
And most people would better recognize Kodak’s "fungus" as mould (or mold, spelling dependent on which side of the pond you live). Usually appears as a dusty black or brown extremely fine powder, not the rampant mushrooms that the strictly correct term "fungus" conjures up.

Fred.

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