Degradation of Gelatin in Historical Photographs

Paper presented as a poster at the Royal Photographic Society Conference on Photographic Gelatin, Cambridge, 15-19 September 1997.

Abstract

In order to study age related changes in photographic gelatin toe analysed black-and-white roll film before and after accelerated ageing and samples of naturally aged glass plate negatives. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-PACE) was used to separate collagen chains In the gelatin by isoelectric point (pi) and molecular weight. The results shoiv that the x-chatns break down into smaller fragments on ageing. Amino acid analysis ivas performed to examine the oxidative deterioration of gelatin. It shows that the amount of lysine decreases with age.

Notes

Paper presented as a poster at the Royal Photographic Society Conference on Photographic Gelatin, Cambridge, 15-19 September 1997.