Glass Slides- Do you collect them?

[Mirosae]

Ladies and gentlemen, a question for a Friday afternoon. I would appreciate your thoughts / steer about this. Glass slides seem to be everywhere these days. EMP has them regularly. Do you collect them? I am not sure I care much about them.

[CSM]

Nope

I can appreciate the artwork and history but the images shown in the eMovie auctions for example are kind of an illusion really.  You can only truly appreciate them by projecting them somewhere.  On their own they are very small and without strong background light difficult see

[oldposterho]

I've had one for ages and just picked up another (coming soon to the latest acquisition thread if I can ever get it on the website) and am starting to look for more since I want to build a lighted frame to display them and need a few more to make it worth it.  Like posters, sometimes the artwork is much better than any of the posters and sometimes they well and truly blow.  For early films sometimes it's the only way to get into the title.  FWIW, I'd have a go at that Valentino, not doing the crazy prices yet though, leave that to the deep (and seemingly inexhaustible) pockets of the wanker competition.

--Peter

[Mirosae]

I can appreciate the artwork and history but the images shown in the eMovie auctions for example are kind of an illusion really.  You can only truly appreciate them by projecting them somewhere.  On their own they are very small and without strong background light difficult see

Same here. I am thinking if I am missing something...i like the artwork...

I've had one for ages and just picked up another (coming soon to the latest acquisition thread if I can ever get it on the website) and am starting to look for more since I want to build a lighted frame to display them and need a few more to make it worth it.  Like posters, sometimes the artwork is much better than any of the posters and sometimes they well and truly blow.  For early films sometimes it's the only way to get into the title.  FWIW, I'd have a go at that Valentino, not doing the crazy prices yet though, leave that to the deep (and seemingly inexhaustible) pockets of the wanker competition.

--Peter

Thank you Peter, much appreciated. I would love to see your new glass slide and would certainly hope to get to see the frame- fab idea!!!

[Harry Caul]

 I have been kicking around an idea to collect and display them…  I love the backlight idea. However, I'm worried they would fade with extended display. Instead, I was thinking of scanning them at a very high resolution and printing them on 8 x 10" or 11 x 14" transparencies. Then I'd get an old x-ray viewer to display them!

[50s]

Maybe scan them digitally and put them on slow rotation on a video monitor on the wall. I've also thought of getting into them but not know how best to enjoy them either.

[oldposterho]

I wish I could figure out how to scan them, my efforts have been catastrophic at best.  With the new one I pre-admitted defeat and took the emp scan for the first time.  I don't know how they get such good results - and there are other e**y sellers that do as well - but I just don't have a clue.

Matt I worry about fading as well but intend a table top display of some sort with an on/off switch which would mostly be off, used as mood lighting for video viewing in the dark.  Looking at the 'strip' LED lights, seems like the answer.

[50s]

A slide scanner might work. Like a normal scanner but the lid contains a light like in the main body.

If I were to try without the above I would try photographing the slide attached to window or on a light box. You have to use a camera with zoom lens in conjunction with close up screw on filters attached. The zoom lens help keep the image in focus across the whole image (ie to the edges of the image) and the close up lenses let you zoom up onto close objects. I used to do this photographing areas not much bigger than a matchhead on coins filling the whole photo frame. I additionally used side lighting to show the coins reliefs(?) but you won't want to use side lighting for the slide

Oh,you'll need a long exposure, say a second or two and a very rigid / precise camera setup as the focal plane will only be a hairs width deep!

[Mirosae]

Thanks all for sharing those thoughts. Had no idea you couls scan them or indeed that you could display them. I would love to see how they look. I might get one just to see it properly!!!

Thank you again!

[Louie D.]

I have about 200 (maybe more) of them. I scanned them using a Epson V700 flatbed scanner and the results are terrific!! Here are some in a lower resolution:

[erik1925]

Great images, Louie.

Those came out looking fantastic!!

[Louie D.]

Thanks. No post photoshopping on them either. These are right off the scanner. A few more:

[CSM]

I have to agree those turned out amazing

[erik1925]

Stunning image captures, Louie! 

[brude]

Those are absolutely great, Louie!
Any chance you can post more?

[Mirosae]

Those are absolutely great, Louie!
Any chance you can post more?

Agree!! Would love to see more Louie, those are just beautiful!!!

[Louie D.]

OK,here's some more:

[erik1925]

 

Wunderbahr!

[brude]

 
Thanks, Louie.

[Mirosae]

These are just exquisite. Many thanks. I appreciate now the appeal. 

[Louie D.]

I have always loved them. I think the best are probably the silent to early sound ones as the studios seemed to take more care in creating them and the images are usually unique and sharp. By the time of the late 30's/early 40's, (probably because their use was becoming limited) it appears most studios would just use "ad cuts" from pressbooks, color them and use those:



Don't get me wrong, the image above is nice, but it doesn't compare to some of the earlier terrific ones:





The scans were actually pretty easy. The Epson V700 works miracles on prints, transparencies, and negatives.

[Ari]

they are nice.
Someone years back posted on Mopo with a box/lamp thing they built to light them (a number in one unit).

[CSM]

Like that Ann Sheridan!

[Louie D.]

Like that Ann Sheridan!

Yup, me too, that's why I bought it. I just think the earlier ones are better.

I will say I haven't bought any in a while but when I was buying them regularly, most of these could be had for under $20-30, so still pretty affordable. You certainly have to take care when handling and cleaning them (most are usually pretty dirty) but certainly an undervalued part of the hobby.

[erik1925]

I have always loved them. I think the best are probably the silent to early sound ones as the studios seemed to take more care in creating them and the images are usually unique and sharp. By the time of the late 30's/early 40's, (probably because their use was becoming limited) it appears most studios would just use "ad cuts" from pressbooks, color them and use those:



Don't get me wrong, the image above is nice, but it doesn't compare to some of the earlier terrific ones:





The scans were actually pretty easy. The Epson V700 works miracles on prints, transparencies, and negatives.

So true. Same could be said of much of the poster material, too. When there was more care and creativity put into the imagery that as produced.

Stellar collection of slides (3rd time mention, I know), Louie.