Type 55 Polaroid

I am in denial that Polaroid discontinued Type 55 film for large format. For about l2 years I shot many images in large format, and of those last few years it was all Type 55. This positive/negative film produced the most exquisite thin, dense negative. This delicate negative produced lovely large photographic prints onto graded Agfa Portriga paper, which was also discontinued. Seems that products are made for the masses, and not for small consumer concentrations, such as darkroom photographers. I guess we are lucky that film is still being made, and silver gelatin paper is available (and costly).


This image is a Type 55 with the positive still inset inside. Me, I love the whole process of image making and am glad I saved about 5 full pieces of the original pull-apart Type 55. This happens to be on the grounds of the Philadelphia Musem of Art, circa l995 or so, before the new construction tore up the hillside in back. I loved the rustic, overgrown grounds. You can see the back edge of the roof of the Museum on the far left on the image.

The Kennedy Era

My Irish Catholic parents took me and my older sister aboard a great ship from Ireland to Canada around l960. I was very young and the parents were optimistic about leaving 'the auld sod' and coming to a new country. I believe John F. Kennedy was a primary reason, and that the U.S. of A, as they called it, held the hope of possibility and freedom from the restrictions of the old land.

My Father loved taking 8mm films and photographs. Mostly he shot with Kodachrome, which has recently been discontinued. The quality of the images he took is so good, the colors still saturated and lovely in a way that I don't see much anymore, but for an altered digital file. Recently going through what remains of his slides, I scanned many and remembered his telling me a few things that stood out in his mind. One in particular is the devastation in the days following the shooting of President Kennedy. I could go on about the personal impact on my parents, and my memories of them crying (which I had never seen before) in front of a television (which we never had before) and the repeat of the shooting. Tears and television. I have maybe eight slides I found of a trip our parents took to Virginia in l964, carrying along their toddlers to Arlington Cemetery. It was a very important event, like going to Church.

I mark the passing of Edward Kennedy today as a great statesman with many personal tragedies and some bad choices.

Here are two never-before-seen images of that day when the grave was new and the eternal flame burned on top of a mound, with various military hats on the grave, and onlookers. The other I will post here is of a woman, probably a Kennedy, on a carpeted walkway with two guards as she looks at the grave. If anyone recognizes this woman, could you write?

**I removed these images. I will be printing an edition of five of each image in pigment inks on archival paper, and offering them for sale. $200 each. Size: l9 x 13 paper, image area to be determined. Email if you want one. #1 Graveside, 1964 - #2 Woman & Guards, 1964.

On the Schuylkill River/Paddle Boats

It is a particularly lovely spot at the Philadelphia Museum of Art along the banks of the Schuylkill River. On this day small paddle boats were about, and a few fishermen.

This Photographic Life

A short piece about making a photograph, and when some people got into my image unexpectedly.