RE: [AV Media Matters] 16mm film coating

[Linda.Tadic@hbo.com]

Sarah,

I think they might be referring to Photoguard. If I remember correctly, it's
thought these days that Photoguarding film can actually accelerate vinegar
syndrome, since the coating traps off-gassing. It might be OK to protect
exhibition prints this way when you have many, many prints, but it wouldn't
be wise to protect originals with this kind of process. In fact, one of my
own 16mm prints that was struck in 1986 was Photoguarded in 1989, and it
already tested positive for VS in 1995.

Linda Tadic
HBO
Linda.Tadic@hbo.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Sarah Cook [mailto:sarah.e.cook@sunderland.ac.uk]
Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2001 11:48 AM
To: AV Media Matters
Subject: Re: [AV Media Matters] 16mm film coating

Dear list
I was recently speaking with an art curator here in England who said in
passing that he often sends artists 16mm films off to a place in Hollywood
to have them coated so that they are made stronger and more durable for the
repeated presentations during the run of a gallery exhibition.
I will try and find out more information about this process, but I wondered
if anyone knew if this coating was archivally sound? commonly used? a good
or bad idea in the long term?
thanks,
Sarah Cook

www.balticmill.com