Why are Old Judge cards faded?
 

Just curious, does anyone know or have a theory for why these cards are faded? Is that due to the original printing process, or have they all faded over time and perhaps will continue to do so?
Thanks
Best,
Ed

They're 130 years old photos essentially, so there's that.

Yes the photographs deteriorate over time . I have about 4000 CDVS and some that look like they were made yesterday and some look their age for sure .

First of all, not all Old Judges have faded by any means -- many are still sharp with great contrast. Second, Old Judges were not printed -- as others have stated, they are photographs (technically albumen prints) glued on cardboard. Albumen prints, the most popular form of mass-produced photography in the 19th century, tend to fade over time with exposure to light, but they're usually ok if they're kept out of light. Jay Miller or Joe G. would know more about this than I do, and maybe they'll chime in.

They also weren't originally sepia. That's from age too.

Always wondered what caused the pink hue found on many OJ's? Perhaps something in the photo development process?

By adding dye, they could make colored albumen prints. Numerous colors are possible, but pink was the most common. The method for doing this was invented in the late 1800s, around the time of the OJs, and the pink OJs are well known for often being too light.

thanks!
 

thanks all for sharing the wisdom!

And that was my thought too on the pink shaded OJ's.....