Antique Photos - Need Help

[Scott Bacon]

Chances are your photos do not have much value to collectors unless they
depict someone famous. Though, they may have value (not in $$$ terms) to
historical or genealogy societies depending on the subject matter.
Photography was VERY popular during this time period, so photos and even
negatives (glass slides) are relatively common. I recently went through some
of my grandmother's boxes in storage and found 150+ prints (in various
sizes) similar to the ones you mentioned and 600+ B&W glass slides (in
various sizes). I found mostly family photos, thus they have sentimental and
personal historical value, so I am in the process of archiving the entire
lot. Here is a good place to buy archival materials if you are interested...
http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/ .
Hope this helps...
--
Scott Bacon
Natural Order Photography
http://www.naturalorderphoto.com

[DaveHodge]

If a photograph can be identified with a specific person, place or event, it
may be of interest to your regional or state historical society. I work with
the Archives Committee of a regional society, and we accept photo contributions
mainly if they meet the above criteria. We generally reject photos that are
merely "old."

We preserve old photos by placing them in mylar sleeves we get from Light
Impressions in Rochester. The sleeves are then put into acid-free paper
envelopes, and identifying information is written in pencil on the envelopes.
If someone wants to use one of these old photos in a scholarly publication, I
take them home and make copy negatives and prints. (It is not cost-effective
for the society to have its own lab.) Often I can improve the contrast of the
copy print so it will look better when printed with a coarse screen.

The portrait that is sharp in the center but not the edges was made with a
soft-focus lens. This has been a popular portrait technique almost since the
beginning of photography in 1839. "Pinkham and Smith" were one of the better
manufacturers of soft focus lenses early in the 1900's (I almost said this
century!) and some are still being used on 5x7 and 8x10 portrait cameras with a
Packard shutter. Some of the modern soft focus lenses available from Mamiya
and other manufacturers were designed by analyzing the Pinkham and Smith
formula.

Sometimes, old photos in good condition sell well in flea markets and antique
stores, but they do not command high prices unless of some well-known person,
place or event.

Email me at dave...@aol.com if you need more information.