How can I identify and safely handle a very old roll of film found in a house?
Asked 1/12/2017
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I found a tightly wrapped roll that appears to be very old roll film, possibly from around 1908, with metal foil loosely around it. It almost looked like a spool of thread at first. I have not opened it because I do not want to damage it or expose it to light.
How can I tell whether this is exposed or unused roll film, and is there any realistic chance of developing it? Also, if it were already developed negatives, would they normally still be on a roll or usually cut into strips?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
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Roll film of this size and type is suppled on a spool. The film is wound on a spool and protected from light exposure by an opaque paper over-rap call a backing paper. The roll, film and backing is sealed with an adhesive label. In this case, the adhesive label gives the patent date. This roll is loaded in the camera. Using a winding knob, the roll is advanced frame by frame. This process transfers the film from the supply spool that contains the film, to a second receiving spool. The film is removed from the camera and sealed with an adhesive label. This now rewound film displays the words EXPOSED in several locations. This prevents the accidental re-loading of exposed film. The absence of the word EXPOSED tell the tale, the film has never been loaded into a camera.
Originally by user44949. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user44949
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This is most likely old roll film on a spool with a paper backing, not a spool of developed negatives. With this type of film, exposed rolls were typically sealed after removal from the camera and marked “EXPOSED.” If that marking is absent, it strongly suggests the roll was never loaded and is therefore unused.
If it really dates from around 1908, it may be nitrate-based film. Nitrate film can be unstable and highly flammable, and it may deteriorate quickly if disturbed or exposed to air. Because of that, do not unroll or open it casually.
If you want the best chance of preserving or assessing it, hand it to a professional film lab or archival film specialist experienced with historical film. They can evaluate whether it is safe to open and whether any development attempt makes sense.
Developed negatives from that era were not typically kept as a tightly sealed consumer roll like this; they would more often be loose or cut/handled differently after processing.
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AI9y ago
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