Cleaning of Stereoviews

[P3D Bill C Walton <bill3dbw3d@xxxxxxxx>]

Bert van Dijk asked about cleaning of stereoviews.

One response suggested he not attempt it unless 
he knows what he is doing.  My question is 

How can he learn to do it if he doesn't try?  I know
there are professional restoration experts, but I 
would imagine they had to try it before they could become experts.

I don't recommend that he start on a stereograph of Abe 
Lincoln (currently in the $1500-1700 price range) or even 
Lt Hobson, Spanish American War hero ($60-75 range) 
or even Dr. Booker T Washington, founder of Tuskegee
Institute ($40-60 range) But start on a "piece of junk" that 
doesn't matter and work up from there.

It can be learned, by that I mean if I can learn to do I believe 
most everyone can.  Case in point:

My oldest stereograph was made in July 1862 and depicts 
a Lion Statue, of considerable historic importance, in the old 
cemetery in Flensburg Germany.

I bought it at NSA Philly in 1987 and it was "PRETTY DIRTY'
would be the best way to describe it.  Notes on the back indicate 
it was in someone's collection in Chicago and Seattle.  It was made 
by Friedrich Brandt, pioneer photographer of Schleswig-Holstein,
Germany.  He only made stereographs a few years and they are 
quite rare.  

So I decided to clean it and see if I could make it view a little better.
I practiced on some "pieces of junk" until I felt more or less 
comfortable to attempt the cleaning.  It took a long time and was made 
more difficult by a piece of the emulsion missing in the left image.
But it turned out pretty good, I think.  I sent it in the SSA folios as 
a "Then and Now" and no one made any adverse comments (And
you can believe if there is something wrong you will hear about it)

Then I wrote an article for STEREO WORLD about the statue.  The 
Lion statue stereograph reproduced quite well in the article and 
half of it was used on the back cover of that issue, Nov-Dec 1992.

So I suggest to Bert that if he wants to learn this particular skill,  
go ahead.  Again I would start on a "piece of junk"

BILL C WALTON
MUSCOGEE 3-D
bill3dbw3d@xxxxxxxx


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