# Wet Printing My Grandfathers Negatives



## 480sparky

When my dad's mother passed away in 1983 (his dad died in 1960), I took ownership of all the photos she had saved from before they were married until 1960.

My grandfather was a very avid photographer, and was rarely without a camera.  I have over 1400 of his film negatives alone, which I have in the past year sorted, cataloged, digitized and placed in archival storage sleeves.  In all, they take up two 3" binders.








Last year, I got back into printing black & white film the old fashioned way.... with chemicals in a darkroom.  Well, not a _proper_ darkroom, just my master bath temporarily rearranged.  The enlarger I got is capable of holding negatives up to 4x5".  

I recently realized I now had the ability to actually make real, genuine 'wet' prints of my grandfathers negatives.  Although I have digitized all of them and it would be stupid-easy to email the files off to a lab, I decided to take a different path.  Yes, actually put his old negatives into my enlarger and make wet prints.

I started going through all the digitized images, and selected 24 candidates.  Mostly, shots of my dad and his four siblings.  Most were taken in the 30's and 40's.  From those, I narrowed them down to 10.

There was only one problem, however.  The vast majority of the negatives are not of a standard, 'modern' size.  They are 4½ x 5¾.  Since 5 inches is the maximum for this enlarger, I had no chance to find a carrier for such an antiquated format size.


I did, however, find out that not only is a 4x5 carrier standard, but there were at least two version of a 4x5 carrier that had two thin glass plates in it.  Primarily, it was to hold curled film perfectly flat.  But I thought, "Hmmmm.  I wonder if I could put some of these odd-sized negs in and make some prints?"

So this morning, my phone notified me that the glass carrier I won on ebay last week was 'Out for Delivery'.  So down to the local brick-n-mortar camera store to drop a c-note on a box of top-notch paper.  When I came home, there was a box at the door.  The carrier had been delivered.  I was now set to start printing my grandfather's negatives... _the same way he did back in the 20's and 30's_.

My plan is to take all 10 negatives and make 5 8x10s of each and put them in an album.  10 images, a set for each of his children.  Taken by their father, and printed using the same method he used.

I cleaned up the carrier (the glass was filthy!), and just a moment ago I put the first of my selections into the enlarger.  After making the proper adjustments, I brought the image into focus.

A shiver actually went down my spine.  I was looking back in time.  I was peering at my dad, my aunt and three uncles.  The shot was taken around 1936 or 1937 by their ages.  Even though I had seen the negative before, and even prints that had been made way back then, and even the processed image I created digitally from the negative........ there was just something _magical_ about looking at that reversed image that has survived almost 80 years.






My dad would be the one right smack dab in the middle.

After dark (my 'darkroom' is not so light-tight), I'll pour out the chemicals into the trays, fire up the timers, and pay tribute to a man and a photographer I never had the chance to know.


Stay tuned!


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## sm4him

Sparky, that is just about the coolest thing ever!

I, too, have a bunch of my grandfather's old, odd-size negatives. I, too, have already scanned and digitized--well, MOST of--them.
But that would be SO cool to actually work with them that way--in my case, NOT the way my grandfather did, but the way it would have been done then. My grandfather, as far as I know, never did his own developing. Not sure why, because it's the sort of thing he would have absolutely loved learning to do.
Probably because he traveled so much, and the supplies were likely hard/impossible to find in many of the places he lived.


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## Dave442

Nice, looks like an interesting project. I just did contact some prints with some old family film as my enlarger only went to 2-1/4" x 2-1/4".  I think at that time (early 1900's) it was more common to just make a contact size prints from the film.  
What lens are you using on the enlarger for that size film? You did not mention if you had also picked up a lens for the larger format negative.


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## photoguy99

Sounds awesome!


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## vintagesnaps

Wonderful story, that looks like so much fun to do. I imagine your family will love having prints from the original negatives.


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## 480sparky

First image is complete.






I decided to make 6 of each... so *I* can have a set.


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## ByronBrant

Very cool Ken!


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## dxqcanada

That's great !!!
I wish I had some old negs from my family photo's ... sadly they never decided to keep any (though they were never really photographers).


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## 480sparky

Second selection:


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## limr

They look fantastic, Sparky! Well done   Can't wait to see more.


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## terri

These are fantastic!   One of the reasons film is to be cherished.   You have a family treasure (several, even)!   

I've run black tape along the sides of a carrier when I've had those odd-sized, old negatives.   It ain't purty, but it serves as acting carrier on the fly.


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## gsgary

Just think what is going to happen in the future with digital you will have F - - - all even one of the people who was involved in developing the internet now at Google says photos videos and data is going to be lost in the future


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## 480sparky

gsgary said:


> Just think what is going to happen in the future with digital you will have F - - - all even one of the people who was involved in developing the internet now at Google says photos videos and data is going to be lost in the future




.......................................................


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## runnah

Flagrant copyright violations.


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## timor

runnah said:


> Flagrant copyright violations.


Who is paying royalties to Leonardo Da Vinci ? For displaying Mona Lisa an charging tickets to see it ?


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## Gary A.

Good for you Sparky!


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## 480sparky

timor said:


> Who is paying royalties to Leonardo Da Vinci ? For displaying Mona Lisa an charging tickets to see it ?



Methinks the Mona Lisa probably predates copyright laws.


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## limr

480sparky said:


> timor said:
> 
> 
> 
> Who is paying royalties to Leonardo Da Vinci ? For displaying Mona Lisa an charging tickets to see it ?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Methinks the Mona Lisa probably predates copyright laws.
Click to expand...


Even if not, the copyright would have long expired. It only lasts 70 years after death.


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## Dave442

Copyright; the photographer died in 1960 so 70 years have not passed. However, it also sounds like the rights were passed on with the rest of the estate to the heir that is now using the photos.
I expect the OP will now find that his relatives will scan or photograph the prints and put them up on their FB page or family tree page - so it may be the OP that sues his relatives.


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## 480sparky

Truth be told. .... _no one_ will give a rodents' rectum about the copyrights of these images.


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## Dave442

Many places will not scan or print old negatives without proof of ownership.


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## 480sparky

Dave442 said:


> Many places will not scan or print old negatives without proof of ownership.



I own all 1400 of 'em.  I'll scan & print to my heart's content.


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## 480sparky

480sparky said:


> .......................................................




OMG!


*Darrel gave me a 'FUNNY'!*


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## 480sparky

Third image all printed up:







My great-grandmother, who was known for her very tall sunflowers.


As an added bonus, my neighbor was celebrating her birthday today.  Her kids & grandkids were over for supper.  So I thought some of the little ones might be interested in seeing an old-fashioned darkroom in action.  Three of them (ages 10-13) came over, and I made a print for them.  They were very impressed, the oldest studying the enlarger and trays.


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## 480sparky

Numero cuatro:






Great-grandparents.


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## timor

480sparky said:


> timor said:
> 
> 
> 
> Who is paying royalties to Leonardo Da Vinci ? For displaying Mona Lisa an charging tickets to see it ?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Methinks the Mona Lisa probably predates copyright laws.
Click to expand...

What about the "morally right thing to do" ? If we consider copyright rules as a God given, automatic privilege of every creator without any need of actual registration of the specific "creation" with proper office, it is only logical and just to extend it backwards to, let say, beginning of times. Off course there is that 70 years limit. But I am not sure if the limit is actually 70 after conceiving the creation or after the death of the creator. I think the first.


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## 480sparky

I did a quick check.  The word 'copyright' doesn't appear in the Ten Commandments.  So I'm fairly certain it's something us silly mortals came up with.

Besides, I wired up the factory God used to create the heaven and the earth.  I don't recall anything on the blueprints about copyrights.  Nothing in the spec book either.  So when God said, 'Let there be light' and turned on a switch I had wired for the occasion, everything then was pretty much public domain.


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## limr

Timor, it's 70 years from death. Not sure if you were joking or really wanted to know


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## StuPho

cool


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## Dave442

Looking forward to numbers cinco to diaz.  Number 4 looks like it could have been a Valentines day shot with the flowers.


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## timor

limr said:


> Timor, it's 70 years from death. Not sure if you were joking or really wanted to know


Thanks. No, I didn't know. Since I have no problem with protecting my rights .


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## timor

480sparky said:


> I did a quick check.  The word 'copyright' doesn't appear in the Ten Commandments.  So I'm fairly certain it's something us silly mortals came up with.
> 
> Besides, I wired up the factory God used to create the heaven and the earth.  I don't recall anything on the blueprints about copyrights.  Nothing in the spec book either.  So when God said, 'Let there be light' and turned on a switch I had wired for the occasion, everything then was pretty much public domain.


So we improve upon God. Clearly God is not a lawyer.


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## vintagesnaps

My mom has an old photo framed where they took chairs outside and obviously set up to take photos on their property. My dad found B&W film in a old camera, got it developed and it was my second cousins standing around in the yard. Guess they told the kids to go out and play and somebody grabbed a camera! lol 

I'm kidding around but I like these, I love it when you slide the paper in the developer and the image starts to emerge. It must be cool to see the photos from the original negatives.


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## vintagesnaps

Hey Sparky's got connections, and we've got an 'in'! lol


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## 480sparky

V:


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## Gary A.

Dave442 said:


> Many places will not scan or print old negatives without proof of ownership.


How do you prove, other than with an affidavit, that you legally own the negatives?


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## Gary A.

Go Sparky go!!! Print your brains out.


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## 480sparky

00000110:






I know this one was taken in Nov, 1944, as soon as the oldest (Back right) was 18 and could join the service.


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## 480sparky

007:






I think this one is about as close to a 'formal' image of the kids there is.


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## 480sparky

My grandmother, on left, with her sisters and parents.


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## Dave442

Nothing like watching those old images come to life on paper.


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## 480sparky

Very blurry, and underexposed to boot.  But it shows my grandmother doing what she loved....... picking up rocks, bottles, driftwood etc. for craft projects at home.

This is probably somewhere in South Dakota or Wyoming in the early 50's.


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## Derrel

These are really some fine old negatives!!! I LOVED that shot of the kids with the various types of bikes/trikes/scooters..soooo cool! What an awesome project this is!


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## 480sparky

Dave442 said:


> .........What lens are you using on the enlarger for that size film? You did not mention if you had also picked up a lens for the larger format negative.



I scored a 105mm off ebay a couple months ago to start printing my 6x7 negs.  Yeah, I know... this size I should be using something like 150 or so. But until I get a 4x5 camera, I'll hold off getting the lens.


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## 480sparky

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand.................... No 10.






About the closest I'll see to their wedding photo, if this isn't it.  The white spots are reflections of the light.

Their marriage was supposed to be a secret, as my grandmother was still in school, even though she was 19.  She had to work so much to help support the family she missed a few years.

So the minister was sworn to secrecy.  Problem was, his _wife _wasn't.  Next morning, she spilled the beans to my great-grandfather.  Since married girls didn't attend school, my grandmother had to drop out.

I have 1 Jan 1926 as their wedding day.  But a trip to the courthouse last Friday has it a 31 Dec 1925.  Maybe they said 1 Jan 'coz "That's when Father found out."!


Anyhoo... that's the ten I chose.  I originally selected 42, and it was damned hard to narrow it down to these precious few.  Tomorrow, I go album shopping so I can get them all packaged up and ready to send out to dad & his siblings.


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## bribrius

Good job sparky.


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## W.Y.Photo

This is really quite amazing. So much history ready to be printed for the next generations to see.


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## 480sparky

Found some archival albums today.  The will hold 24 8x10s, so there's room to add more.







I just need to make copies of some birth certificates and registration of marriage and out they go.


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## timor

Here you go, sparky. magic of darkroom work.  Isn't satisfying ? And you did really well. There is high probability this negs were never printed that large, probably intended for contact printing originally.


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## Authentic Southerner

Very nice... your kin were much better photographers than mine !  I have tons of old negatives but lots are OOF and poorly framed...  congrats on your project !


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## Coffeebot

Wow, I really love this project. You did the right thing. I would never have said to myself to just to ten. I might do that with my grandmother-in-laws pics now.


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## limr

Fantastic, Sparky!


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## vintagesnaps

Sparky, seeing them together, they're really wonderful.

Are you going to frame and hang a set? I wonder how they'd look displayed together.


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## 480sparky

And away they went.

Two of 'em got delivered in person today, the other 3 are headed to Texas, Idaho and Arizona.


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## timor

Hey ! What's the reaction of recipients ? Did they expect this ?


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## annamaria

Sparky I love this! It's so exciting! Really enjoyed viewing them. Thank you for sharing these timeless memories. Nice work.


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## 480sparky

timor said:


> Hey ! What's the reaction of recipients ? Did they expect this ?



They loved 'em, and they didn't know about them ahead of time.  I've sworn the two that have their to not tell the other three.


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## Gary A.

What everybody else said great, fantastic, et cetera ... but, where did you learn to print?


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## 480sparky

Gary A. said:


> What everybody else said great, fantastic, et cetera ... but, where did you learn to print?



I had a (color) darkroom back in the '70s and '80s.


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## terri

480sparky said:


> timor said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hey ! What's the reaction of recipients ? Did they expect this ?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> They loved 'em, and they didn't know about them ahead of time.  I've sworn the two that have their to not tell the other three.
Click to expand...


This is just so cool - waiting for the reaction.   You did great with this project, including the delivery!


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## Dave442

Nice job, that master bath may have to become a permanent darkroom.


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