Seeking Help from Photo Collectors

[varsitycollectibles]

I picked up an item off eBay that led me to wonder when photos started having a glossy finish. Any feedback or direction is welcomed.

Sam West

[Michael B]

I have photos in my archives from circa 1910 that have a glossy finish. I also have many press photos from the 1920's and 1930's that are glossy. If this photo is from the late 1930's or so as described, it is well into the era of glossy photos.

[varsitycollectibles]

Thanks for the reply Michael B. Very helpful.

How about others? How far back does glossy go?

[thecatspajamas]

Do you mean glossy, as in the front surface is slick and reflects light but the back is plain paper, or resin-coated, as in the whole thing has a slick plastic feel to it (front and back) such as most modern photos?

Not trying to be nit-picky. It's just that I've found the term "glossy" means different things to different people. It's probably easier to show the photo in question, front and back, and go from there.

[varsitycollectibles]

CatsPJS, the item that sparked the question is one that I just purchased from your store. Haha. The link is in my original post.

As you may already know, it's glossy on the front and shows adhesive residue on the back. It's only the second photo I've purchased and it just made me wonder.

Love the item and your shipping was very fast. Much appreciated.

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by varsitycollectibles

CatsPJS, the item that sparked the question is one that I just purchased from your store. Haha. The link is in my original post.

As you may already know, it's glossy on the front and shows adhesive residue on the back. It's only the second photo I've purchased and it just made me wonder.

Love the item and your shipping was very fast. Much appreciated.

Ooops, guess I should have checked the link before speaking

So if I may remove my foot from my mouth and answer my own question, it is not a resin-coated print. Like most black-and-white photographs of the era, it is a gelatin silver print, the process for which was invented in the 1870's but not in commercial use in the U.S. until about the mid-1890's (Kodak adopted it in 1900). The "glossy" prints you asked about became popular in about the 1920's (according to Wikipedia), with earlier photo papers having more of a low-gloss and textured appearance.

Hope that helps

I might add that David Cycleback, also here on Net54, is an excellent resource for questions regarding photographic processes and paper types.