Many years ago there was the Haloid Corporation, which I think eventually became Xerox. They had a paper developer called HD-6 which was a beautiful low contrast paper developer. I have been trying to locate the formula. Any help would be appreciated.

-- Jim Steele (jdseele@hotmail.com), November 03, 2001

Answers

Hi Jim. I've just completed a search of my moldy archives and came up with nothing. I probably have every Defender, Ansco, Edwal, Agfa, and other ancient formula ever published, but no Haloid. Do you know if they published their formulas, or if it was a prepared product? Anyway, if no one else can come up with it, and you really want it, I'd suggest calling or emailing the George Eastman House here in Rochester. Since Haloid was here, odds are that they have some brochures or other info. www.eastman.org Good luck.

-- Conrad Hoffman (choffman@rpa.net), November 04, 2001.

I have a Photo Lab Index, 9th edition, 1947, with a section on Haloid. D-1 is an M/Q developer for bromide paper; D-2 is their standard paper developer (M/Q); D-3 is their (M/Q) lith developer; and D-4 is a (M/Q) developer for their Copylight paper. No other developer formulas are given. The quantities of metol and hydroquinone lead me to believe that none will give soft effects.

I also have a Darkroom Handbook and Formulary from the Ziff-Davis Little Technical Library, 1940, which has three Haloid formulas. It lists a "Blue Black Tone Formula", which corresponds to D-2 above. The other two developers don't seem to correspond to anything in the Photo Lab Index, but neither is listed as a soft-working formula. All three are M/Q formulas.

My personal favorite soft-working formula is Ansco 120, which is on the Formulas page of my web site- -it is very similar to Selectol Soft. It can be diluted to obtain even softer effects. I also am aware of an old Gevaert G-253 (M/Q) formula, which is listed as "Developer for Soft Effects." Write me if you are interested in that formula.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), November 04, 2001.

I like the Gevaert G-253, it's soft working and gives clean blacks.

Warm water 800 ml Metol 3 g Sod. Sulfite, anh. 20 g Sod. Carbonate, anh 20 g Pot. Bromide 1 g

For warmer tones, add more Potassium Bromide.

Another alternative is the good old Ansco 130 diluted 1+1 or 1+2.

-- Patric (jenspatric@mail.bip.net), November 04, 2001.

Researching Haloid on the internet turns up a lot of information on Xerox and the evolution of the copy machine, but nothing on Haloid developers. However, I did learn that Haloid was in business in Rochester from 1906, and that they didn't change their name to Haloid- Xerox until 1958. I wonder if the HD-6 developer didn't appear in the early 50's? I've searched my photography library to no avail, but will keep my eyes open.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), November 07, 2001.