As a complete novice when it comes to photographic techniques could someone tell me if there is term for the procedure which seems to have been used mainly in newspapers from the early to the middle of the twentieth century in which photographs were altered to sharpen blurred features with the result that they would often seem to give a mask-like or bizarre appearance to the subject? Preliminary enquiries suggest that this is just known as retouching. Also, and perhaps more importantly, could anyone tell me how this process was carried out - or where I could find a description of it being applied?
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The classic ferricyanide bleach is Farmer's Reducer, a solution of Potassium Ferricyanide and Sodium Thiosulphate (Hypo). It was commonly used for dot etching.
The more powerful bleach is Potassium Ferricyanide. (not ferro). An iodine solution is more of a cutting bath used to brighten highlight areas (slightly). In both cases the print should be re-immersed in fixer -- either potassium or ammonium thiosulphate, then re-washed. The fixer will remove the brown iodine stain. Both can be used locally. I understand that newspapers would also work on the half-tone negative before burning the printing plate, etching the dots to render a line. If the halftone was a positive, the same effect could be had with pencil retouching. Since these are re-halogenizing bleaches, it should theoretically be possible to rinse then redevelop if you over-do the bleach. I have never tried this, but it would work on the same principle as the re-halogenizing bleach in colour transparency processing. Bill Brandt worked on his later nudes in this manner rendering lines and highlights. Frankly an effect not to my taste. The publisher added a note to the book asserting that the appearance of the images was as the artist required. http://billbrandtarchive.photoshelter.com/gallery/Nudes/G0000Fq7HOf...
Daniel Hack said:
Also consider http://www.shorpy.com/ ... An astounding online photography archive / gallery featuring a huge collection of very high quality editorial and documentary images. Search via keyword [retouched] they have some early examples of obvious retouching technique. Have a look.
Yes,newspaper archives or periodicals like Life or Look Magazine. Street, war, travel and industrial journalism would have many examples and perhaps some low budget newspaper ads.
Thanks for your informative response. Can you or any of the members recommend a good archive for this type of photograph. I should imagine they are mainly sourced from old newspapers.
Techniques vary. The newspaper example above involves a bleach and dye method on BW prints. The bleach is a solution of iodine or potassium ferrocyanide. Cotton wool twisted around the other end of the brush is dipped into a sodium solution and is swabbed into areas where the bleaching needs to be stopped or slowed. The technique involves the bleaching of midtones and highlights and defining the black areas first with a gradual putting back or "re rendering" of detail(s). The result can look mask-like or overly rendered depending on how much work is required and the skill and patience of the retoucher. Other methods include cutting a piece of acetate and trimmed to a shape corresponding to an image area to be fixed and applying an airbrush mist (of matching colour) with the acetate in place serving as a shield or stencil resulting in soft and defined edges. It takes alot of practice and patience with gradual layers applied then dried with further applications possibly necessary afterwards. Terms like "hit up the blacks" or "the midtones need a bit more come and go" or "hit up the highlights" are common phrases when making retouch decisions.