Camera Talk

Another case of found pictures, old glass plates form the early 1920s
In this case some of the plates are stuck to another, is there a way to safely separate them?
Help....

Oh dear. I've just been through this recently with some of my own. If they are emulsion to emulsion, I fear not -- I've been trying to separate some plates that had accidentally got put down facing each other while wet and I was not able to do so, despite some fairly heroic measures. That is, I finally started to get them to separate (after putting them in simmering water for quite a while -- I wasn't trying to save the images, just the plates), but the glass broke when I started inserting a thin knife blade between them, despite some clear loosening of the gelatin.

If it's emulsion to glass, then it might be possible with some heat and moisture. I've managed it once or twice. But you're likely to damage the image.

I wish I had a better technique to offer.

Robert

I was afraid of that, fortunately there only a few that are stuck.