Framing response: Interesting

[Matthew Semple]

I recently took two envelopes to a well known, nation wide chain framing store. (Who has recently advertised in my area that they could frame anything from clothing to original pictures...to quote them: "We have seen it all.")

I approached the frame department desk and asked them if they could frame something for me.

I pulled out a glass plate negative made by Rob Gibson of a friend of mine and myself and asked them if they could frame it. When I pulled it from the first envelope, the clerk was taken back by it...automatically put on white gloves, stared at it, and after a few minutes, asked me if I could flip it over. I removed it from its black carboard album background and held it up to the light. She remarked..."I have never seen anything like this before. Is that image really on glass?" My reply was "Yes (with a slight smile) can you frame this?" Her reply was, "I have never seen this before...how can you put an image on glass?" The sad thing is that she has been been working in photographic reproduction and framing industry for the last 40 years. I tried to explain the process to her...but I could see that I lost her after the first 30 seconds. I will omit the 25 minute discussion that we had about framing such an "unusual peice."

My major question: Has anyone experienced this before when trying to frame their Civil War reproduction negatives or prints...?

By the way, the second envelope containted an original negative on glass of my ancestor who fought during the war for those who were wondering.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Framing response: Interesting

Avoid a chain store and go to a professional framing shop. Use the Yellow Pages or something similar to locate candidates in your area and then call them and see if they are experienced at framing Nineteenth Century ambrotypes.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Framing response: Interesting

Hallo!

In my town, the new Jo-Ann Fabrics' framing service just put the two professional shops out of business...
Sigh... (rarely good that the woman from the Button Department is now the framing and matting department....)

Curt

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Framing response: Interesting

In my town, the professional frame shop went out of business by election of its owner (to do only wholesale) just before Jo-Ann opened her 100,000 sq ft store in town. At least the local guy who framed all my military prints up to that point advised me of another frame shop in the nearby downown metro area that he recommended for "difficult work you want done right". These shops are out there, and for the right framing, be prepared to not only pay a premium (probably worth it) but to also have to possibly drive a little way to get it.

Jo-Ann Fabrics' frame counter may be okay for some stuff--diplomas and things like that, and perhaps even for limited edition prints such as a Don Troiani, but if you want to frame a relic or something that's "a bit out of the ordinary" (the old place where I brought my business could put almost anything in a frame--even a dug Civil War bayonet in with a print of Chamberlain running down Little Round Top; yes, that was for another customer), I recommend avoiding a chain store. It's possible the person at the frame counter at Jo-Ann's was hired yesterday after working a nearby car wash.

[Matthew Semple]

Re: Framing response: Interesting

Mr. O'Beirne's advice about avoiding the chain stores is good when one has a choice of professional frame shops. I can't agree more with this advice.

Almost all of the local professional frame shops in my area have either gone out of business or will not frame my glass plates. I gave the chain store a try after exhausting the internet, phone book, and the recommendations offered by those stores which wouldn't do it. I probably should have included that in my original post.

I guess a better way to phrase my question is: Has anyone ever shown a glass plate negative to someone who was working or had worked in the photographic reproduction industry and received a shocking response like "I have never seen this before...how can you put an image on glass?"

[1stMaine]

Re: Framing response: Interesting

Matthew,

I haver never had that particular experience, but, just this past week I stopped off at the local "store whose name shall not be uttered" to purchase some osnaburg and a variety of notions.

Imagine my surprise when I asked the three (count them.. 3!) ladies working in the fabric department where I might find osnaburg. They looked at me with a blank stare and, after a few rather awkward moments, one asked me "what is it?"

I explained it was a type of cloth, and they looked quizzically at each other. They had honestly never heard of it. Eventually two of them left to peruse the racks whilst one remained behind to keep an eye on this wag whom they fully suspected of playing some sort of jole on them. The two returned shortly with a bolt og "gasp" osnaburg, incredulous that it existed at all, let alone that they had some in stock.

Respects,

[Dreamer42]

Re: Framing response: Interesting

I worked for two years back in the '80s in a framing store. One reason I loved working there was the variety of things we'd frame. I have been framing in my own shop since 1998. Most unusual items like your non-period image could be easily handled as a shadow box, or in the least, a moulding that is deep enough to guarantee that the mounting for the image has "room to work" - that is, that you aren't sacrificing durability for cramped space. One could afix a hanger of some sort to the back (least desirable) or use a very small moulding to frame the actual image (thus holding it in place) then have that set inside a larger, more traditional, frame. You'd want something that would not have any pressure on the edges in case the fame was bumped or jarred.
Some frame hardware distributors offer plastice spacers (s shaped) to hold stuff like glass you can order from cateloges. Check with your local framer for that. If a small time operation like mine has access to that, surely they must have them.

- Jay Reid
Dreamer42
9th TX/165th NY