Speaking of David Rankin Barbee.....

[Jim Page]

(09-21-2015 07:15 PM)L Verge Wrote:  "This process of fixing was formerly done through repeated varnishing with gum-arabic solution and even with glue or egg-white emulsion." Found this on an art history page.

Laurie, back in the mid-1980s, before moving to DC, I ran a large graphic arts photo lab. One of the government projects we had required us to make our own photo emulsions and adhere them to frosted mylar sheets. Then we would whirl the emulsion on the sheet flat under heat and fix it with a solution of gum arabic dissolved in ether.

Smelled to high heaven and this lasted until the St. Petersburg, Florida, fire department made a tour of our lab one day. They evacuated all the employees (over 250), aired out the building for hours, and confiscated all the ether, which was in 5-gallon cans. They said that the ether could autoignite at a low temperature and blow up the whole building, no spark required.

We were glad not to have to fool with that stinky stuff anymore. No wonder the government folks were happy to sub out that work. My last adventure with gum arabic.

--Jim