Curtis Neotone
Description
“In 1939 Thomas S. Curtis of Huntington Park, California, introduced Curtis Neotone, a simple dye mordanting printing method for the production of color prints or transparencies from color separation negatives. With Curtis’s method, a color print could be completed in thirty minutes. Stripping film, dyes, bleach, and developer were manufactured and sold by Curtis Laboratories.6 Backing paper and common chemicals could be purchased from other manufacturers, such as Eastman Kodak and Defender. The printing method was as follows: three separation negatives were printed on orthochromatic stripping films and developed in the special Neotone developer. After they had been stopped and rinsed, the films were bleached and acquired a muddy brown coloration. After fixing, the films became clear and were ready to be placed into their respective dye solutions, where they would be stripped from their heavy backing. Once dyeing was complete, the thin films, or skins (i.e., the dyed gelatin on a thin nitrate cellulose skin), were washed in order to clear the highlights and eliminate the surplus dye. Assembly of the films on a gelatin-coated paper completed the process. Color balance could be adjusted by returning the skins to a plain water bath to eliminate more dye. Stacking the skins with the emulsion side down on the final paper support produced the most brilliant results, but they could also be mounted with the emulsion side up.7 To prevent curling, the edges of the paper support were taped down on a rigid support during drying (Curtis 1939).”
(Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, on pp. 276–278.)
Secondary Sources
Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, on pp. 276–278. View Quote
