Cleaning a negative

[nickmeertens]

Hello all,

I found an old negative from my grandfather; a picture he ones won a photocontest with. The grand prize was a Zeiss/Ikon Contaflex with 3 lenses.

I would like to scan the negative (5.5x5.5 cm B&W Perutz?) but it has some stains on it. How do I go about cleaning a negative?

Thank you for your help, Nick

 

[Gaspar]

Try spit on the non emulsion side first and wipe with soft cotton cloth. Do not put any liquid on the emulsion side.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Are they stains, or is there any sort of dirt or crust? If they are brown stains it argues for chemical staining -- much harder to remove.

There are negative cleaning solutions available, such as Pec-12. I really wouldn't go for spit!

cheers,

R.

 

[sevo]

It entirely depends on the type of stain - residues of undeveloped silver that have turned black can't be eliminated, but silver deteriorated due to fixer stains or environmental factors can be repaired with a (non-fixing) bleach and development.

Biological stains may need very different treatment, depending on the agent and whether the gelatin base is damaged - if so, even rubbing the film with a soft cloth might bring the emulsion off!

So be cautious, and show the thing to an expert (the nearest big historical museum or library should either have or know one) before proceeding.

Sevo