Long term storage of developed negatives

[Kugerfang]

You obviously have never had a power failure last for several days .

Or had a freezer compressor fail on you (discovered unfortunately days later).

Melted ice cream is really messy stuff.

Wait, isn't ice cream sold in sealed plastic tubs?

[MattKing]

Wait, isn't ice cream sold in sealed plastic tubs?

Some - but most is sold here in cardboard impregnated with wax:

[Dave in Kansas]

I've had trouble with mold and mildew on slides stored in metal slide cases and negatives in Printfile sleeves that were stored for a number of years without proper climate control in eastern Kansas. I suspect the Philippines is more humid than Kansas so kept frozen probably isn't a bad idea. Perhaps, even just refrigerated would keep the humidity under control.

If you have the space in your freezer and don't need it for film or food, then why not use it?

Dave

[holmburgers]

Any walk through any high school which has the Principal walls will know that the schools had cyan vampires overseeing them.

That's so true.... either that or everyone was wearing rose-colored glasses back then.

It is claimed though, that dye stability has been significantly increased in recent times.

[Prest_400]

I've got relatives from the Philippines, and was there last year.
The climate is very humid and the temperature must be averaging 24ºC, that was in July/Aug.

I believe, according to my own experience, that freezing post processed, color negatives that have been vacuum sealed, can extend their usable life for generations and perhaps as long as BW negatives when thus stored.
Denise Libby

Vacuum sealing doesn't seem a bad idea, at least it protects the film of the high humidity. Which is the main concern here. I left my OM1 in the bag for a few days, and bam, fungus growth.

It's desirable to have the lowest temp, possible, but below 20ºC, there should be no problem. There's a very interesting book in this matter, written by Henry Wilhelm. Though it dates 20 years ago.

As an example, both of us share an album with prints from the same event (family wedding) in 1990, ours, stored in temperate mediterranean climate are fine. Theirs are faded, in an advanced state.
I've got the luck of having an old house in a mountain climate, the room where my dad's old photos are stored is a natural refrigerator half of the year. His chromes, negs & prints from the 70s-80s are perfect, most are agfachromes; except some that have been incorrectly processed I guess.

[Bob Carnie]

I would be interested in knowing a bit more about this claim , as I think that would be a bogus claim, and would need some sort of background info that supports it.

That's so true.... either that or everyone was wearing rose-colored glasses back then.

It is claimed though, that dye stability has been significantly increased in recent times.

[holmburgers]

I have nothing really to back up my bogus claim, other than that technology progresses and I've heard references to improved color stability from Ron Mowrey and seen it referred to in other places. It has been claimed... that's all I'll say.

Here, this might shed some light on things...
http://www.wilhelm-research.com/pdf/..._HiRes_v1a.pdf

[Bob Carnie]

People have been know to change their tune as time goes on, I do have Wilhelms book right beside me,
I have just seen a lot of examples over the last 20 years of work degenerating to a cyan pulpy mess, or as you described rose tinted glasses.
Recently I scanned a few thousand slides/prints from a family's shoebox and slide carousel,, funny the kodachromes held up pretty well, the ectachromes had major stability issues, the colour prints had major problems and the black and white prints and negs were in very good shape.
If this was a one time thing in our business I would not be concerned , but it is a time and time again issue, I really cannot believe anyone saying that the colour dyes are more stable, when I have practical samples that to prove otherwise.

I think your work Chris in carbon and gum processes is going to be very worthy and for those with archives of colour work I would suggest opening up some of the work and make sure with a loupe nothing funny is going on.

I have nothing really to back up my bogus claim, other than that technology progresses and I've heard references to improved color stability from Ron Mowrey and seen it referred to in other places. It has been claimed... that's all I'll say.

Here, this might shed some light on things...
http://www.wilhelm-research.com/pdf/..._HiRes_v1a.pdf