Your films are not necessarily on cellulose nitrate; rather, the distinct vinegar odor you noticed indicates that they are on cellulose acetate (acetate => acetic acid => vinegar). Deteriorated nitrate smells much more like dirty socks (and believe me this is an identifiable smell). If they were on nitrate you have another set of issues, most importantly whether or not you are permitted by fire code to have them on your premises.
To identify the film base go to the following website for information:
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byauth/fischer/fischer1.html
also available in Topics In Photograph Conservation vol 5 and 6 ( a publication of the American Institute for Conservation's Photographic Materials Group).
While you are figuring these things out, if you have a cool and dry climate where the films can live for the time being that would be best. You can even freeze the films, but please remember that there are many risks associated with removing frozen films from storage and acclimating them to the room environment. For more information on this topic go to:
http://www.wilhelm-research.com
(look for the article on "zero" degree freezing of film)
Meanwhile, you may have significantly deteriorated acetate films (odor is an indication, but not the only indication). To judge the level of deterioration you may use acid-detection strips (AD Strips), which can be purchased from the Image Permanence Institute of the Rochester Institute of Technology (go to the RIT website, which can point you to the IPI website). Other methods of measuring the deterioration of acetate films involves measuring the film stock for shrinkage; evaluating the color fading of the images; checking for scratches and the like. Or you can go straight to reformatting, without doing the analysis. Reformatting has its own issues. To become more familiar with the issues of film reformatting you may be interested in the work of the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA), which can be located at www.amianet.org or the American Film Institute, or the National Film Preservation Board http://lcweb.loc.gov/film/.
Best,
Sarah Stauderman
Preservation Manager
Smithsonian Institution Archives
202-357-1421 x 55
>>> [log in to unmask] 12/06/00 12:34PM >>>
Hi everybody,
A component of my organization's collections is a couple of motion picture
reels produced prior to 1951, hence, on cellulose nitrate film. I opened
the canisters today to obtain some measurements so that I could look into
estimates to reproduce the film on a safer substance and destroy the reels.
As one of the canisters was opened, a distinct vinegary odor was released.
Is this the smell that everyone talks about as signaling deterioration?
Suddenly, something that was on my "to-do" list has become top priority.
Should I isolate these reels immediately? And if so, in what conditions?
I'm thinking about moving them to an outside shed at a little distance from
the facility.
Any advice would be a help,
With thanks from me and the rest of my collections,
Bethany S. Rutledge
Director of Collections and Exhibits
Thornton W. Burgess Society
East Sandwich, MA
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