1970's Lawn Chair Restoration

 These chairs were from my childhood. I love these chairs.  They are ever so light, you can lift them with one finger!  They are also wonderfully durable and have lasted for decades.  Fortunately, chair webbing is still pretty readily available so fixing and repairing is possible. . 

https://www.lawnchairusa.com/collections/webbing

I first had to strip off the old webbing and then polish the aluminum.  Polishing is a time consuming step, but really adds to the beauty of the final product.  

These are nice because they are all metal, no plastic arm rests. 

We then got to the business of webbing.  Measure the distance you need to cover from hole to hole.  You then add a few inches on each end for the fold.  

If using Screws and 2 1/4 inch Webbing, add 3.5 inches.

If using Screws and 3 inch Webbing,  add 4.5 inches

If using Clips, add 4 inches

You can see more details in this video:

Fold the tape at the end. 

Install all the straps in one direction first.  I pull hard on the strap with pliers to hold the tension while I attach the screw. 

Then weave them through. 

And Magic! 

Binding Tape For Magic Lantern Slides

 For those of us that work with vintage media, we are often confronted with choices in repairing antique magic lantern slides.  Here are a few products that I have tried or have been suggested to me by others.  

1) Lineco Linen Hinging Tape

This is a cotton gummed ("moisten to stick") tape. I use it to repair tabs on slip slides as well as to bind broken slides. It coms in one inch wide rolls that need to be cut for your application.  It's quite strong and sticks well to glass. As it is "moisten to stick" you don't need to worry about adhesive leaking out when the slide is warm. 

2) Neschen Filmoplast P90 Mending Tape

This is an adhesive backed tape, but it takes preservation into consideration.  It is used by conservationists and was suggested to me by a few others. 

3) Copper Foil Tape

This is another adhesive backed tape, but it comes in a variety of widths,  holds up well over time, doesn’t “lift” or tear, and easily slides across the slide holder for panoramic slides. It’s also is thinner than some tapes so it allows for a very flush binding. This is popular for people making their own animated slides from scratch and is used by Melissa Ferrari for her custom hand made slides

4) Back Gaff Tape

Gaff comes in many sizes and colours and has a fabric backing.  As the adhesive is not overly strong, it's easy to work with.  As it is a staple with most theaters or traveling performers it's great for quick fixes in the field.  I always carry a roll to every performance. However, it is another adhesive backed tape, may leak under heat, is not archival quality, and it is rather thick.  

5) MT Solids Washi Paper Masking Tape

This was highly recommended by a couple of Lantern society members from Canada who did a lot of searching and trying out of tapes of appropriate quality. It does not have some of the negative properties of other tapes like glue oozing into the slide under heat. It is 1/2 inch wide so may still need some trimming (Original taping were closer to 1/4 inch.)

6) Brown Butcher's Tape

Some folks like using old-fashioned brown paper butcher's tape, cut to the appropriate width. It's gummed  ("moisten to stick") which automatically avoids the residue or oozing problems sometimes found with adhesive tapes. The surface can also be blackened with a marker if the colour is objectionable.  Although, not nearly as strong as the Lineco tape, it is still "moisten to stick" so no gummy adhesive residue left on your slides.  I have seen it used on older repairs of slides done by others. 

7) Original Old Stock Binding Tape

If you can find some, and if it is still in good condition, original binding tape is a great choice.  However, it often has lost functionality due to years of exposure to moisture and the elements.  

And, for a little fun...

Richard Balzer Collection at The Academy Museum

 I visited the "Path To Cinema" exhibit at The Academy Of Motion Pictures Museum in Los Angeles.  Dick Balzer was a well known member of The Magic Lantern Society and was both a collector and performer. 

Much of Richard's collection can be seen in this YouTube video. 

Although Richard passed away in 2017, his collection was donated by his wife Patricia Bellinger to the Academy Museum. 

The exhibit had a variety of different lanterns spanning multiple types and styles. 

There was also a good display of hand painted Magic Lantern slides. 

Besides the lanterns and slides, there was a good display of other entertainment technologies. 

There was also some original literature and posters. 

One of the walls had a display of several slides being performed.  There was no narration, just a demonstration of the slides, but it still did a pretty good job of showing what the capabilities of the media. 

Art

Phantasmagoria

Story

Travel

Science

The exhibit is being retired and put back into storage on March 12, 2024 so make sure to see it before it goes away.  

A Guide To Kodak Safelights

All safelight photos are from specimens in my personal collection

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Number	Color	Picture	Usage
OA	Greenish Yellow	N/A	Black and White contact and duplicating materials, Projection Films.
OC	Light Amber	N/A	Contact and enlarging papers. TRANSLITE Film 5561.
OO	Light Yellow	N/A	Used for flashing halftones through a KODAK Contact Screen to control contrast.
No. 1	Red	KODAK No. 1	Blue-sensitive materials, most phototypesetting materials, KODAGRAPH projection, and some LINAGRAPH Papers.
No. 1A	Light Red	KODAK No. 1A	Slow orthochromatic materials, KODALITH and KODAGRPAH Orthochromatic Materials, High Resolution Plates
No. 2	Dark Red	KODAK No. 2	Fast orthochromatic materials, some green-sensitive x-ray films, EKTALINE Papers, Orthochromatic LINAGRPAH Papers
No. 3	Dark Green	N/A	Some panchromatic materials
No. 6B	Brown	N/A	INDUSTREX Films and Papers
No. 7	Green	N/A	Some black and white infrared materials.
No. 8	Dark Yellow	N/A	Some EASTMAN Color Print and Intermediate Films.
No. 10	Dark Amber	N/A	RESISTO Rapid Pan Paper, VERICOLOR Slide FILM 5072, VERICOLOR Print Film 4111. PANALURE Portait Papers
No. 11	Appears opaque but transmits infared	N/A	For use with KODAK Infrared Scope or similar inspection devices.
No. 13	Amber	KODAK No. 10	PANALURE, PALALURE II RC, PANALURE Portait, and RESISTO Rapid Pan Papers. EXTACOLOR 74 RC and 78 Papers.
No. ML-2	Light orange	N/A	Intraoral dental x-ray films.
No. GBX2		N/A	Blue-sensitive x-ray films except KODAK SB Films; most green-sensitive mediacal x-ray films except KODAK CFA, PF, Single-Coated Medial X-ray film-Green Sensitive, and KODAK PHOTOLURE FIlm-Green Senstive, which rquire KODKA Safelight Filter No. 2. KODAK SB Film.

 

Reference - Kodak Safelight Filters Published by Eastman Kodak 1978. Revised 12-1980.