Reformatting cellulose acetate and nitrate negatives

Marjorie Kevlahan <marjokev [at] coco__vpl__vancouver__bc__ca> writes

>... We have a collections of
>roughly 200,000 negatives 80,000 of which have been processed. The
>main conservation problem is the deteriorating acetate and nitrate
>negatives...
>At the moment we have sent a few negatives to be reproduced using
>the interpositive method to a commercial photographer. it is quite
>expensive however...

Try a direct positive (eg. reversal) duplication method. By the 50%
reduction of the necessary film and other materials the cost can be
lower. I duplicating for collections and I found a product of a
local factory which was useful but cheaper than a famous one. After
experiences for modify the process, I can make duplicates on a
polyester based film with silver-selenide picture on it and the
expenses few times lowers than a "generativ" way...

All transfer (reproduction, copy) can cause some loosing/distortion
of information this is a more reason of the direct method.

When you start from the deteriorated parts of collection and keep a
realistic speed year by year your budget perhaps survive this
process (and the collection also).

However digital solution is much cheaper sometimes...

Balint Flesch
Budapest/Hungary

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 9:78
                   Distributed: Friday, May 24, 1996
                        Message Id: cdl-9-78-007
                                  ***