Ansco 130

[Ian Grant]

Incorrect it was originally called Agfa 130 by Agfa-Ansco in their earlier books of Fomulas, later GAF renamed all the formulae Ansco after the US Government had siezed the company and renamed it no longer using the Agfa name.

So to answer JPD, Agfa-Ansco in the US, which was owned by Agfa, Germany,came up with the formula. Agfa were already trading in the US many years befrore they bought Ansco. The US Agfa-Ansco formulae differ from the German formulae of the same number a few were made by both.

Ian

[Shawn Dougherty]

Interesting. Thanks, Bud! I've been using nothing but PF130 for a couple of years now and couldn't be happier.

What is now commonly known as "130" was originally called "ANSCO 130" Universal paper developer.

I have in my hands a book titled "Ansco Formulas" for black and white photography. This book is a
"Revised to July 1946" edition, 36 pages, giving 50 formulas, and the procedures for use of those formulas. Some of which, as of that publication, were prepackaged for sale and others that were apparantly just published.
Price 10 cents.

The formula that Photographers Formulary packages today is the exact formula that is published in that book.The formula is as follows to make 1 liter.
Metol 2.2 grams
Sodium sulifite 50 grams
Hydroquinone 11 grams
Sodium Carbonate Monohydrate 78 grams
Potassium Bromide 5.5 grams
Glycin 11 grams

"This formula is a universal developer for all projection and contact papers. It gives rich black tones with excellent brilliance and detail. Ansco 130 provides unusual latitude in development and is clean working even with long development times."
"The prepared stock solution is clear but slightly colored. The coloration in this case does not indicate the developer has deteriorated or is unfit for use."
"For use, dilute 1 part stock solution with 1 part water."
"Normal developing time at 68 F (20 C)" then a list of no longer available paper is listed, but development time is listed from 1 to 6 minutes depending on paper.
"Greater contrast can be obtained by using the developer stock solution full strength. Softer results can be obtained by diluting 1 part stock solution with 2 parts water."

There you go. That is the info supplied in 1946 in a promotional pamphlet from Ansco.
Hope that helps. 49 other Ansco formulas in pamphlet if anybody needs clarification on other Ansco product. Including film and paper developers, toners, fixers, intensifiers, reducers, hardener formulas,desensitizers.

Hope this helps out.
Thanxs
Bud

[Photo Formulary/ Bud]

Thanxs Ian for the correction. I had no intention of spewing bad info. My bad.
The antique photo books are all over my desk this morning, which haven't been for a while.
A 1940 edition of "Little Technical Library, Darkroom Handbook and Formulary" shows AGFA 130-Universal paper developer. It has the exact copy as the Ansco book I quoted in above post. I quess I just didn't go back far enough before my original post. This also shows Gevaert as a stand alone company.?
Maybe you could give us all a history lesson as to how these companies evolved, merged, and disappeared.
Heck I even found Eastman D1.
Thanxs again Ian
Bud

[Ian Grant]

Bud unfortunately the use of the Agfa name/numbers cause confusion because they don't match the European/German Agfa formula numbers, so it's now best to refer to these old Agfa Ansco formulae as Ansco or Agfa-Ansco.

Gevaert were a separate Belgian company until they merged with Agfa in 1963, their products were also made in in Germany, France and Spain. In Gemany they operated as Voightlander-Gevaert, their products often being sold under the Voightlander brand name.

With Agfa it gets worse because Orwo continued making Agfa chemistry under the Agfa brand name until they were paid to drop it before Gevaert merged with Agfa. Later after re-unification Orwo split the chemistry division became Calbe.

Ian

[JPD]

Thanks Ian and Bud! I'm printing out labels for my chem-bottles and since I'm using many Agfa recipes I can also call this one "AGFA 130" from hereafter. I have the book "Agfa Rezepte" from the East German Agfa before it became ORWO, and it doesn't include the 130. Agfa 9 isn't included either, but it's easier to buy in bottles.

[Steve Goldstein]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this, so I'll add it to the archive.

When I mix up 130 stock solution I omit the KBr. This gives me the choice of using KBr or Benzotriazole when I dilute to a working solution, depending on the desired tonality. I normally use 15ml of 1% Benzo solution per liter of stock for a colder tone; this is essentially Evan's recipe (post 72) but I don't bother changing the sodium carbonate, I always use the standard recipe's 78g.

With KBr the print color is very close to that of Dektol/D-72, at least for Multigrade IV, Fomabrom Variant 111, and Adox MCC110. Benzotriazole gives a colder image.

Earlier this week I inadvertently omitted the Benzo from a fresh working solution and didn't realize it until the next day when I exposed a test strip on MCC110 and cut it in half. The first half got the non-Benzo developer, then I added the Benzo solution and developed the second half. The non-Benzo version was only slightly warmer, but the difference was very subtle and only noticeable in this side-by-side comparison. I'd printed for the entire previous day without spotting this oversight!

[Steve Goldstein]

Oh, another thing (two, actually).

I store my Glycin in the deep freeze, -23F last time I checked. My dwindling year-old supply is still brilliant white.

And I buy it only in winter. It's cold in Montana, it's cold here in New England, and it's probably cold everywhere in between, so the risk of my shipment baking in a hot truck en route is pretty low.