Collecting old negatives from unknown photographers

[darkosaric]

Hi all,

I really enjoy to buy some old negatives on some flea market or on auctions, and then develop them in a darkroom... it is like time traveling. Also when I buy some old camera and as a bonus I get some old negative inside: it is great (one example from agfa isolette attached).

Anyone else has this "hobby" ?

cheers,

[Ricus.stormfire]

Although I have never been lucky enough to find undeveloped film in a camera. I do "collect" old negatives and 8mm film reels.

[Mike Wilde]

Yes, I enjoy that too. Found film unprocesed in a camera is a special treat. Not that I really need another instamatic or 35mm point and shoot, but if that is the price of the film, well...

Buying old prints of unknown families happens sometimes too. Oh, and slides. I have a series of a couple on driving vacations all over north america most years between 58 and 74. The guy was a pretty good shooter, and edittied what he put into the slide carousels. His kids cleared out most images of the individual family members, and then put dad's images up for estate auction. out of seven carousels I repacked them down to take the spaeces out and ended up with 3.75 full carousels after a bit of light editing of my own. They are most fascinating to look at.

Also another series of slides for someone who rode horses competitively and went to florida to ride in the winter a few years in the mid 70's. I end up with them as part of a lot buying up some old maps. Estate auctions are a dangerous hobby that way.

I ended up with about 50 slides of a guy who died of a heart attack. They were in a box that I really wanted for the old Norman pack and head 200B flash rig. That rig now is most relaible,a nd well worth the $15 she wanted. The images are a nice bonus. Him hanging out with his friends mid 70's and off to surveyors camp, so I suspect he studied enginering at one stage. The sides have his pals names on the mount. I have yet to google them up and put a thread of them together.

[CGW]

I've been collecting 40s-60s mug shots for a dysfunctional family tree project.

[dehk]

Me too, i collect old negatives, just bought a bunch of kodachrome from the 50s.

[Dshambli]

The closest I've got is a roll of Verichrome I developed out of a Brownie Hawkeye (hard to tell what's on it, I may not have developed it right) and a glass negative I bought at an antique store.

EDIT: That glass negative picture isn't a print, it's a picture I took with my phone in negative mode.

[Araakii]

Man, I have always wanted to do this but don't know where to find them.

[dehk]

I'll share one with you guys that I like a lot.

[darkosaric]

Man, I have always wanted to do this but don't know where to find them.

Flea markets, local camera shops, auctions - not only ebay, but other as well - for example here in Poland on allegro.pl you can find old negatives pretty often.

[darkosaric]

I'll share one with you guys that I like a lot.

It is great - funny and good