Orange mold on prints?

[velvia50]

There is,what looks like orange dust, on some B & W prints I made in a darkroom class over 20 yrs ago.
They have been hanging, in frames, under glass, in our back room for over 10 yrs--neglected--dumb me.
Is there a way to remove the mold (I presume that's what it is) without ruining the prints?
Thanks folks
Trapper John

 

[webestang64]

Try re-fixing and re-washing the print......the orange spots are from not fixing and washing the print properly.

 

[Ysarex]

It's not mold. You must have done a good job washing the prints 20 years ago. The silver in your prints is changing to colloidal silver and the process (I believe -- not 100% sure) isn't reversible unfortunately. It may however be possible to treat the photos to prevent further deterioration.

Here's an article that describes what's happening: Toning and Permanence of Silver Gelatin Prints

Joe

 

[vintagesnaps]

Is there a museum in your area? The art museum in my area has a service available that you can contact them to consult about art or collectibles you own (there may be a fee). Or maybe look at the Eastman House website and see if they have an conservation or restoration resources available. Or a place like Old World Restorations I think does photos, you could try looking up art restoration.

Depends on if any of them might be something you particularly want to be sure to salvage but it might be worth looking into getting some restoration done professionally. I've re-fixed and rinsed a couple of my own darkroom prints but did it not long after I'd made the print (because I got some water spots on them which only affected the gloss).