# Old photo paper in 44" box



## sqrmax (Mar 22, 2014)

I found a 44" x 4" x 4" box of Kodak photo paper.  It looks like the box was opened at some point, and then retaped closed.  The box is marked "DO NOT OPEN" and "PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL".  Picking up the box makes one feel that there's still significant paper inside.  At some point the box had a lid that identified what the paper was, but unfortunately it detached and became lost.  I think I remember the lid said something about 1969.

What do you think I should do with this?  I'd hate to throw it away just to hear later it was really valuable to someone (looking at eBay listings for small format paper suggests this large format paper might be valuable indeed).


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## Designer (Mar 22, 2014)

Knowing nothing about this, I would say that it might be a good idea to at least examine it.  Open the box in a dark room, and take out a sheet to test.  You will have to have developer handy, but you don't have to expose the whole sheet.  Just cut some off for the test.


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## compur (Mar 22, 2014)

*Opened *boxes of old photo paper won't get anyone too excited. There's only a few old papers that attract attention (like AZO) but only when they are still sealed. The fact that your box was opened means the paper inside could be ruined and few buyers want to take that risk.


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## vintagesnaps (Mar 23, 2014)

Someone like me might use it! - for lumen prints, which are sun prints using expired vintage B&W photo paper. It probably doesn't have much monetary value, especially not knowing what kind of paper it is. I bought some supplies at a camera swap once and they offered to throw in a bunch of expired photo paper, to carry it out to my car...

If this is paper that was for color photography then I don't know if it's usable for anything.

Photo paper has a really low ISO of like, 3, so it is very slow (light sensitivity). You should be able to take out a piece of it in a darkened room, put the paper back in the black paper it's stored in (assuming it's still in the black paper). If it was already removed from the packaging it could have already been exposed and wouldn't be usable.

Then you could put a sheet of it in sunlight (I do my lumen prints on a small table under a window). Then sit a solid object(s) on it for a few minutes, remove the object(s), and see if the paper has darkened and is still off white and unexposed where the object was placed. 

When new, B&W photo paper exposed in an enlarger in a darkroom will produce a B&W image after being put in developer; once it's this expired and 'fogged' in sunlight it will turn gray, purplish, tan - different papers turn different colors.

You could look at the back and see if the paper has any markings indicating if it's by Kodak or another manufacturer. (edit - I see you said it's Kodak, it may have other markings.) Since the box was labeled that makes me think it may have belonged to a photographer who kept it closed when stored, but you never know.


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## sqrmax (Mar 23, 2014)

vintagesnaps said:


> Since the box was labeled that makes me think it may have belonged to a photographer who kept it closed when stored, but you never know.



Clarification: the photo paper is still in its original Kodak box.  It *looks* as if the box was opened at least once, maybe to take some paper out, and then taped closed again.  How would I choose a serious place to have the paper checked out?


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## Designer (Mar 23, 2014)

sqrmax said:


> How would I choose a serious place to have the paper checked out?



Find any local hobbyist who makes prints.  He or she will know that to do.


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## webestang64 (Mar 23, 2014)

99% of the time old photo paper is worth $0. And if it is from 1969, it's useless. There are recycle centers for silver halide products, which should be done and not just thrown in the trash. I still extract silver from exhausted chemicals using a silver recovery unit and get money for it.


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## snowbear (Mar 23, 2014)

If you are in the US, some high schools, community colleges, and universities still teach film photography and still have chemical darkrooms.  If you are near any of these, they may be willing to test out a sheet for you.


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## vintagesnaps (Mar 23, 2014)

I don't think it would be usable for making good quality B&W prints in an enlarger but as I said, I use vintage B&W paper for lumen prints, from the 50's, 60's and later. Older than that I've used but it can be more fragile. 

I don't think a lot of people are doing lumen prints but there are others besides me that do. I've bought some on ebay, such as Kodak Velox, Azo, Kodabromide, Polycontrast - can't think offhand what else is in my stash. I get it out of the packaging in room light (I just stay away from the windows and hold it face down til I set up for an exposure). I just take out 2-3 sheets at a time usually and put the rest back in the black paper right away. I don't find in room light (incandescent or fluorescent) that it exposes sitting out for a brief time, it takes UV light to react. 

However I do store them in black boxes til I get time to run them thru some diluted fixer to preserve them as the paper would gradually continue to expose. If you want to see some lumen prints I'll post a link.

edit - I suppose a difficulty in selling is if you don't know for sure what paper it is, or how old, or how it was stored... 

http://www.alternativephotography.com/wp/category/processes/lumen
http://www.jerryburchfield.com/gallery1.htm


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