Quote:
Originally Posted by ruth-gehrig
Some real positive looking negatives out there 
My sole contribution to this thread is my 1927 Yanks negative. I really need to get a print made off this to check the quality. |
According to "The Acetate Negative Survey" by David G. Horvath of the University of Louisville Ekstrom Library Photographic Archives finished in February, 1987 this is a 3A notch reference negative. This is Kodak Commercial Pan negative film used 1929-1933, 1942 and 1947. It was either film #1108 or 5108 which were both discontinued. No. 5108 was discontinued in 1940. This is based on information provided by the Patent Office of Eastman Kodak and surveys of the large photographic archives in the U.S. The distance from the upper right hand corner to the first notch should be ¼" These notches were there so a person working in a darkroom would know which side was the emulsion side, the side that should face down. In the case of the image shown, I believe it is backwards and the notches would be in the upper left when printed.
Most of us would believe that all of the early negative were glass plate. Nitrate and safety film was also used this early and before. The Caulfield and Shook Collection at the University of Louisville has several hundred thousand negatives from 1925-1955. Most of them are 8x10 sheet film. The Charles L. Franck Collection at The Historic New Orleans Collection contains sheet film negatives from 1915 t0 1955.
Both nitrate and acetate sheet film can degrade over time. When possible the archives will transfer the images to safety film and store the original negatives.