Posted By:
davidcyclebackIf you could find unused 1930 photo paper (and I said if, as in 'easier said than done'), I don't think it would be usable. I don't think photography paper that has dried out over 78 years is going to do the photographer any good.
The most famous photography forgery cases, including $100,000+ Man Ray forgeries made from the original negatives, were solved by analyzing the paper. Analysis of the paper showed the paper was too modern for the photos to be original. Again, as photo paper is a specialty paper made for a specific purpose, it is more straight foreword to date and identify than, say, typing paper or card stock. There could be wide variances to cardstock, but photo paper had to be made a specific way as it carried light sensitive chemicals. In the 1800s, most albumen photo paper used in the United States came from just two factories, one in Germany and one in France. And, in case you didn't know, all albumen photo surfaces (Old Judges, Newsboy Cabinets, etc) are covered in egg white. Albumen literally means egg white. At the time, egg white was considered the best substance for holding the delicate photochemicals to the paper, and the photo paper factories had thousands of chickens laying eggs on site. This just demonstrates how photo paper was made in distinct and specific ways.