Print degradation, any fixes?

[rbiemer]

I was at my dad's house yesterday and noticed that a framed print I'd given him in 1995 is starting to discolor a bit along the edge os the print nearest to the window in the room it's hanging in.

It is a black and white print that I'm pretty sure was optically printed so it's probably on silver based paper (I'd need to open the frame to check but I'm pretty sure the place I had it done was not doing digital enlargements in '95).

There are clouds in the scene and the white areas between/in the clouds is turning a sort of pale metallic looking brown/tan color.

This is "bronzing" I think?

When I've been at the house I haven't noticed direct sunlight hitting this photo but it must be at some time of the day.

Any fix for this?
I no longer have the negative, I suppose I could scan the print and edit out the color then reprint it.

Thanks!
Rob

 

[oftheherd]

Scan it, or better still photograph it in MF or LF?

 

[Sparrow]

... would it develop again if it went back in some developer? the silver must still be there

 

[tlitody]

if its resin coated it could be bronzing. Ilford RC papers had a bronzing problem but that was solved years ago. Don't know dates though. Bronzing was a problem with the plastic(resin) and can't be got rid of.

It could also be bad fixing and/or washing.

If you still have negative then reprint. If not then assuming its not dry mounted then you could try refixing the print followed by a quick wash, hypo clear and then 10 minute wash (resin coated) or half hour for fibre based. If you omit the hypo clear then you need to wash fibre for an hour.

If it was bad washing leaving residual chemicals in paper then I'm not sure if it will come out.

But whatever you do, don't try developing it again unless you first bleach it, but even then I wouldn't recommend it because if that brown is silver halides, then they are now exposed to light and will permanently devlop into the print.