Man Opens A 120 Y.O. Time Capsule To Find Undeveloped Cat Pics, Decides To Develop Them
There’s something oddly yet endlessly fascinating about old time capsules. After all, they’re like a little peek into something that was really dear to someone a long time ago, which makes the whole experience of finding one somewhat intimate. YouTuber Mathieu Stern had a chance to look at the most precious belongings of a little girl from back in the year 1900. He found the time capsule in the basement of his old family home and decided to revive the two glass plate negatives he found encapsulated. Scroll down to see his process.
More info: Instagram
French photographer, filmmaker, and YouTuber Mathieu Stern recently found a time capsule in his old family home and decided to bring the negatives he found inside back to life
Stern estimates the box he found in his old house to be from the year 1900
Stern discovered the little “time capsule” in the basement of his old family home after being told about it by a family member. “Because of my last video, someone in my family told me about a possible time capsule in our old family house,” he said.
Among other little trinkets, it contained two glass negatives that Stern, being ever the photography enthusiast, decided to bring back to life
He decided to do that using one of the oldest photography printing techniques in the world – cyanotype
“After investigation, I found a box dating from around 1900 judging by the objects and the technique of the photos found inside. So I decided to develop the images using the Cyanotype Process.”
He started out by covering a piece of paper with cyanotype solution
He then placed the glass negative on the paper covered with cyanotype solution in a wooden frame and secured it tightly
Being a filmmaker and a YouTuber, he couldn’t resist documenting the whole process in a way that’s both informative and aesthetically pleasing and post it online for all of us to enjoy. Looks like he proved once and for all that cat pics ruled waaaaaay before the Internet came along.
The wooden frame containing the negative was left to rest under UV light for almost half an hour
Stern then soaked the photograph in water and finished off with hydrogen peroxide
Thus, the memory of a cat who lived around 120 years ago came back to life
Stern didn’t forget the second picture
He used the same process to develop the glass negative
Only to get one more adorable picture of the same cat, this time along with her kitten and a sweet dog
People not only loved the story but even found a deeper meaning behind the photos
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This makes my tears roll. Can't someone do a nice family movie on that story? This is so beautiful, a little girl and her cat from 120 years ago.
And momma cat's kitten and their best furry doggo friend. :)
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I love it when old timey things have life breathed into them again!!
I love that he restored it the old way and not just made a digital pic of the negative and inverted it.
That is one intriguing cat! Its markings (that white breast and the leg markings) and the intense look in its eyes. The photo captured its being, its essence.
This really touched my heart. I operate a small animal shelter/sanctuary out of my home (no local public ones available here). I rescue the old sick animals people dump out here in the woods because they don't want to be burdened with their care, and, because of what I see, I get pretty cynical about humans sometimes. But this little girl and her pets from long ago made my cynicism vanish, at least for today. There have always been loving humans that bond with their furry friends.
The title is misleading--the negatives were developed. He just made prints of them using an old technique. I used to work for Kodak printing from negatives like this all day.
This makes my tears roll. Can't someone do a nice family movie on that story? This is so beautiful, a little girl and her cat from 120 years ago.
And momma cat's kitten and their best furry doggo friend. :)
Load More Replies... I love it when old timey things have life breathed into them again!!
I love that he restored it the old way and not just made a digital pic of the negative and inverted it.
That is one intriguing cat! Its markings (that white breast and the leg markings) and the intense look in its eyes. The photo captured its being, its essence.
This really touched my heart. I operate a small animal shelter/sanctuary out of my home (no local public ones available here). I rescue the old sick animals people dump out here in the woods because they don't want to be burdened with their care, and, because of what I see, I get pretty cynical about humans sometimes. But this little girl and her pets from long ago made my cynicism vanish, at least for today. There have always been loving humans that bond with their furry friends.
The title is misleading--the negatives were developed. He just made prints of them using an old technique. I used to work for Kodak printing from negatives like this all day.
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