Boxes with Glass Plate Negatives from the Sociedad Protectora de la Infancia. Two cardboard boxes with the Gevaert insignia, a brand of a Belgian company recognized for the manufacture of photographic materials. These boxes contain photographic negatives on glass plates coated with light-sensitive emulsion, a technique widely used from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Each box contains a total of 13 glass plates, and each plate is protected by a sheet of black paper, folded in half, covering both sides of the plate to prevent damage and light exposure. The plates were produced using the gelatin-bromide process, developed in 1871 by Richard Leach Maddox. This method involved applying a gelatin emulsion with silver bromide onto a glass plate, which increased light sensitivity and made it easier to handle compared to the wet collodion process. The recorded images, both in vertical and horizontal formats, document various spaces within the building of the Sociedad Protectora de la Infancia, including both interior and exterior shots. Some images feature people, while others focus solely on the architecture and empty rooms. Most of the frames are wide-angle shots.
Cajas con negativos sobre placas de vidrio de la Sociedad Protectora de la Infancia Dos cajas de cartón con la insignia Gevaert, marca de una empresa belga reconocida por la fabricación de materiales fotográficos. Estas cajas contienen negativos fotográficos sobre placas de vidrio recubiertas con emulsión fotosensible, una técnica ampliamente utilizada entre finales del siglo XIX y principios del XX. Cada caja contiene un total de 13 placas de vidrio, y cada una está protegida por una hoja de papel negro, plegada por la mitad, que cubre ambas caras de la placa para prevenir daños y exposición a la luz. Las placas fueron producidas mediante el proceso de gelatino-bromuro de plata, desarrollado en 1871 por Richard Leach Maddox. Este método consistía en aplicar una emulsión de gelatina con bromuro de plata sobre una placa de vidrio, lo que aumentaba la sensibilidad a la luz y facilitaba su manipulación en comparación con el colodión húmedo. Las imágenes registradas, tanto en formato vertical como horizontal, documentan distintos espacios del edificio de la Sociedad Protectora de la Infancia, incluyendo tanto los interiores como los exteriores. Algunas tomas incluyen personas, mientras que otras se centran exclusivamente en la arquitectura y los recintos vacíos. Los encuadres, en su mayoría, son planos generales.
Extent: 2 boxes containing 26 glass plate negatives.
Size and dimensions of original material: Glass plate negatives: Height 18 cm, Width 24 cm.
Condition of original material: The photographs on glass plates show a few signs of deterioration. Some of the plates exhibit emulsion detachment, with areas where the photosensitive layer has peeled off, causing flaking. One of the plates is cracked, resulting in physical damage to the material. Deterioration due to sulfurization, caused by residual chemicals from photographic processing or sulfurous gases in the atmosphere, results in warm tones (ranging from yellow to brown) on the glass plate negatives. "Silver mirroring" is also present as a form of deterioration, caused by the oxidation of silver in the presence of moisture, which generates blue and silver reflections.
Author(s)/Creator(s): Sociedad Protectora de la Infancia.
