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Radiocarbon Measurements on Early Photographs: Methods Development for Testing Waxed Paper Negatives

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2016

Elyse Canosa ,
Gregory Hodgins  and
Gawain Weaver
Elyse Canosa
Affiliation:
University of Arizona, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 1235 E. James E. Rogers Way, Tucson, Arizona 85721-0012, USA. Email: elyse@canosas.com
Gregory Hodgins
Affiliation:
NSF-Arizona AMS Laboratory, Physics Building, 1118 East Fourth St., University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721-0081, USA
Gawain Weaver
Affiliation:
Gawain Weaver Conservation and Consulting Services, 18 Greenfield Ave., San Anselmo, California 94960, USA
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Abstract

The earliest years of photography were full of experimentation and innovation; many photographers from this era carefully documented their experimental procedures. Consequently, it is possible to reproduce historically accurate photographs and negatives today. One of the oldest forms of photographic technology is the waxed paper negative, popular during the mid-19th century. It consists of a photosensitive sheet of writing paper coated with a layer of wax to render it transparent. Modern waxed paper negatives made using 19th century paper can potentially pass for historically significant 19th century negatives. This poses problems to museums and others interested in studying or collecting authentic 19th century photographic images. We have developed methods for separating the organic components of waxed paper negatives and measuring their radiocarbon content as a means of distinguishing between modern and historic waxed paper negatives. By detecting the presence or lack of bomb carbon in a given negative, this process can act as a tool for authentication. We have mainly focused on the extraction and 14C measurement of the wax component, reasoning that modern photographers might have easy access to 19th century paper, but would less likely use 19th century beeswax.

Type
Unusual Applications of 14C Measurement
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 55 , Issue 3: Proceedings of the 21st International Radiocarbon Conference (Part 2 of 2) , 2013 , pp. 1862 - 1868
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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