Original negatives

[steve B]

Unfortunately I do.......

The breakdown happens to pretty much all acetate film stock to some degree. An old piece of 35mm film that feels a bit brittle or less flexible than a newer piece has degraded slightly. Ones that have curled and won't flatten without a struggle have gone a bit farther. I have a few pieces that have shrunk to the point where scanning them would be a real problem. I'll eventually try to get them into a screwdown and see if they'll scan that way. If I run across one I'll get a pic. (No baseball, or anything important, just mildly interesting old photos)

Film that's been kept in a sealed container will give off an odor of vinegar. You don't see that often in negatives, but it's very common for movie film. Wether it gets that bad or not and just why isn't well understood. My friend who collects film believes it has a lot to do with the original processing, and/or certain cleaning processes that were used. There's one process that when he sees the name on the can he sets it aside because nearly every print they cleaned has gone bad. Metal cans seem to be worse than plastic cans as well. My guess is that they seal better.

Once the film offgasses acetic acid in a sealed space the whole thing feeds on itself.


The bright blue on a B+W negative is odd. I don't think it's from the film degrading. Any chance it's actually a B=W copy negative on color stock? I've seen stuff like that. Including a black and white movie faded to red.

I have a few odd bits of safety film, one of my favorites is a short commercially made 8mm movie that's on plastic that's a nice purple color. And it reacts to UV with a strong blue glow. It was made during WWII and I suspect it's something made to use while blacked out, maybe with a UV reactive screen. I've never seen any description of anything like it though, and my film collecting friend has only seen a couple of them in maybe 20 years.

Steve B

[repsher]

Hi Guys, I really enjoyed this thread. I've been collecting negatives for a few years but I just recently got my hands on a scanner that can scan them in. I will post some of the more significant ones as I get a chance to scan them in.

These 2 are George Burke negs of Herbert "Rap" Dixon from the Homestead Grays. I think they are significant not only because Dixon was a terrific player (he hit 3 hr's in Yankee stadium in a doubleheader) but also because I've never seen a Burke photo of a Negro league player before.
I'm sure they do exist and I hope someone can point that out, but I still think these negs are rare.

herbdixon(300)001.jpg


herbdixon(300)002.jpg

[thecatspajamas]

VERY nice, Ryan! I can't recall ever seeing another original George Burke negro league shot, either in print or negative form. Makes me wonder if this is one of those instances where he took the photos, but we've never seen them simply because nobody ever thought to request prints of those particular shots My understanding is that there are many many shots in the Burke/Brace archive that have never been seen since they were originally shot for that very reason, and not just of ball players either: "ciggy girls" and flappers, ushers and firemen, dancers and vaudeville performers, and anything else that life in Chicago had to offer. It makes me wonder what other gems are hidden among those thousands upon thousands of negatives that Burke and Brace accumulated, and I am quite envious of John Rogers for being the one to acquire the archive.

But back to the negative: is that an "N6" or "H6" at the top of the negative? (presumably N would be for Negro League, not sure what H would be for) Nevermind, I figured out that it's "HG" as in "Homestead Grays." Are there any other markings around the periphery, such as a number by itself (player code)? That might give a clue as to whether there are other players that he shot (seems like there should be some from the Chicago teams somewhere?) I would love to see scans of the full negatives, including borders, if you are able to do so with your scanner.

P.S. It's also worth noting that your negative pair displays the classic George Burke practice of 1 serious pose + 1 smiling pose (except for Charlie Root, whose response when asked to smile was, "This is a serious game. Don't ever ask me to smile.")

[71buc]

Originally Posted by repsher

Hi Guys, I really enjoyed this thread. I've been collecting negatives for a few years but I just recently got my hands on a scanner that can scan them in. I will post some of the more significant ones as I get a chance to scan them in.

These 2 are George Burke negs of Herbert "Rap" Dixon from the Homestead Grays. I think they are significant not only because Dixon was a terrific player (he hit 3 hr's in Yankee stadium in a doubleheader) but also because I've never seen a Burke photo of a Negro league player before.
I'm sure they do exist and I hope someone can point that out, but I still think these negs are rare.

Ryan those are incredible

[jerseygary]

Wow, that Dixon is great! I hope some others surface. It can be pretty accurately dated to 1936, the only year he played with the Grays - though the jersey style matches the type I have in photos from 1937. Since the Negro Leagues East-West All-Star Game was held every year in Chicago, perhaps Burke took the opportunity to go to Comiskey Park and take pictures. (Dixon only played in the '33 game so this isn't from an East-West Game.)

[Lordstan]

Very nice stuff Guys.
Love the batboy, Lance.

Here is my newest Negative courtesy of Henry Yee.

[repsher]

Thanks guys.
Lance - I will try and get the full negs scanned, the next time I'm scanning. The scanner I have (Epson 4990) I rescued from being trashed at work. Unfortunately I don't have and of the negative file holders with it. So I place the neg directly on the glass and to get it straight I line it up on the right side. I will try and get the full negs the just might not be so straight.

The information in your P.S. is awesome. Seems like I learn something new every time you post.

[repsher]

Awesome Lou negative Mark. I also like the guy on the left with the fountain pen looking to get his ball signed.