I went back to Getty Center on Sunday to meet with Luther Gerlach who is putting on a demonstration of platinum photographic prints, a process from the late 19th century. He mixes the chemicals and applies the liquid to paper and then does a contact print to create a beautiful print using platinum rather than silver as the light sensitive emulsion material.
I took the two 8X10 photos of what I believe to be my great-grandparents from England. These photos are on 1/4 inch thick white glass. According to Luther, they are either carbon or silver gelatin on opal glass porcelain, heavily retouched with paint over the photo. The opal glass would have come from Germany. This process was developed about 1870 and was popular for many years. The evidence is strong for it being a silver gelatin emulsion print because there is considerable evidence of oxidation. Luther is going to refer me to a conservator who may be able to remove much of the oxidation. Then I have to properly frame the photos to preserve them. I have had them wrapped in brown paper since 1970 when I obtained these pictures from my father's house in England. He passed away in 1970.
John Rumbold was born in 1847 in Kings Somborne, Hampshire, UK. He married Ellen Storrow (b. 1849) in 1873. He died in 1902, the same year that my father was born. Ellen died in 1923. My brother's middle name is Storrow from Ellen's last name and her first son's (my grandfather's) middle name.
I took the two 8X10 photos of what I believe to be my great-grandparents from England. These photos are on 1/4 inch thick white glass. According to Luther, they are either carbon or silver gelatin on opal glass porcelain, heavily retouched with paint over the photo. The opal glass would have come from Germany. This process was developed about 1870 and was popular for many years. The evidence is strong for it being a silver gelatin emulsion print because there is considerable evidence of oxidation. Luther is going to refer me to a conservator who may be able to remove much of the oxidation. Then I have to properly frame the photos to preserve them. I have had them wrapped in brown paper since 1970 when I obtained these pictures from my father's house in England. He passed away in 1970.
John Rumbold was born in 1847 in Kings Somborne, Hampshire, UK. He married Ellen Storrow (b. 1849) in 1873. He died in 1902, the same year that my father was born. Ellen died in 1923. My brother's middle name is Storrow from Ellen's last name and her first son's (my grandfather's) middle name.
John and Ellen (Storrow) Rumbold
