Mounted albumens

[Runscott]

The Carl Horner photo shown below recently sold for $19,120. If you could pay $25 extra and instead get the mounted version below it, would you do it?

[Runscott]

What if you could get a similarly-mounted (with matching mount) version of the Horner Fred Clarke shown below?

How about a team set, all original Horner photos, all on original Horner mounts?

(I'm just curious)

[drc]

I might pay the $25 to get it mounted, but not as the vintage style Horner mount. That's just kinda weird to me. I saw an 1860s non-sport albumen that was mounted on an obviously modern looking sheet and thought it looked nice that way. As albumen prints are thin and fragile, I don't think it an unwise thing to get it mounted for preservation purposes.

I tend to think if you're going to get something mounted or remounted, you might as well be creative and artistic and do something neat-- even if it looks modern. I'm also wary of things that are remounted on vintage looking mounts. It's getting close to something that will fool someone down the line-- ala 'selling as old reprint.'

I believe if you're going to remount something, you should make it so it's been recently remounted-- meaning the mount is not masquerading as vintage. If I recall correctly, Mastro Auctions had some remounted rare tobacco cards (Kalamzoo Bats?) but the mounts were clearly not original due to the color. The mounts were red or something like that. And, for the record, the auction description made it clear that they were remounted.

In practice, I've had a few skinned albumen prints and never felt compelled to mount them. To be honest, the thought of mounting them never even crossed my mind. That's the way they were when I got them, so that's the way they were.

Though, to get all technical, the Horner Wagner is a gelatin silver print.

[Craig M]

I would have to say "YES".

I don't know if the grading companies slab these but if they did; the bottom one would receive a much higher grade therefore raw it also would fetch a higher price.

I love that that top image; it looks genuine.

Just one opinion.

Thanks for posting it; it's cool!

Craig

[Runscott]

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[Craig M]

It looks like you edited your original question that you asked...if the bottom image would go higher.

[Runscott]

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[drc]

Just be warned that PSA is perfecting technology that will date the binder in less than 2 minutes.

There was a famous painting expert from way back when who, when asked to give look at and give opinion on some rich guy's antique painting on the wall at a dinner party, said "I think I smell wet paint." The painting's owner didn't think it too funny and sued him.

[Craig M]

I was trying to figure out what you did there because when I first looked at the two images, my eye's automatically went to that tape line on the left side so it puzzled me.

Nice work.

Craig

[Runscott]

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[Runscott]

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[drc]

"the tests are conclusive" I never like the sound of that phrase. Last time I heard that I ended up owing $50,000 in child support.

[Runscott]

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[Runscott]

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[drc]

I recently held an unmounted 8x10 1860s albumen print. It was fragile and thin, but not about to fall apart in my hands. It's wasn't like tissue paper.

[Runscott]

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[drc]

Yes, they can roll up into cigarettes. You'll need a stapler to remount it.

When first learning about albumen photos I skinned a tobacco card-- an actress card I got for perhaps $1-- and it bowed. I put it in a top loader and it looked fine. In fact, some intact 1800s tobacco insert cards, including Old Judges, have a bow even with the cardboard backing due to the photographing print bowing. I suspect that one reason albumen prints were mounted in the first place was because the photographers knew the prints had a tendency to bow or roll up with time.

[Runscott]

David, I removed most of what I posted in this thread, simply because it is of no real interest to photograph collectors on this board, other than perhaps you, Craig and myself. I think most would prefer to fly blind in this area, similar to the autograph collectors who have a wonderful 'Babe Ruth' signed ball in their bookcase to garner 'ooh's and 'aah's from their friends....until someone asks if the Joe Cronin signature is also real.

It's kind of cruel to burst their bubbles, so I'll refrain for now.

But yes, it's a silver gelatin print, which I doubt could be soaked...but I haven't tried yet.

[drc]

Say hi to Lannay for me.