[W&B] What was in those Long ceramic tubes _

[Rob McElroy]

Milan,

I can't locate a catalog reference to the Gennert tanks, but similar 
stoneware tanks were sold under the Rexo and Eagle names in the 20's and 
30's.  They were made in various capacities, anywhere from 10 - 48 
gallons, and could be ordered with or without outlets (often at the top 
and bottom). The reason they are tall (38"-48") is so that roll film 
could be developed by suspending it from a rod that stretched across the 
top.  They were made for commercial labs.  By this time (1920's and 
30's) the stoneware tanks were mostly square or rectangular (more film 
could be suspended in rectangular tanks) but there was still a round one 
available that was 12" across.  Because stoneware was so heavy and 
cumbersome (the tanks alone weighed anywhere from 90 lbs for the 10 
gallon size up to 345 lbs for the 48 gallon), the lighter-weight 
enameled-steel developing tanks with water jackets eventually became 
more popular.

So, Milan, how many javelins does it take to fill a Gennert tank?  Pool 
cues would also fit nicely, but I like the M&M idea best.

Cheers,
Rob McElroy
Buffalo, NY


Milan Zahorcak wrote:
> Wow, very cool containers . . . you could set one or two of them in the
> vestibule by the door and use them like an umbrella stand for your javelin
> collection.
>
> Or near your desk with a long handled dipping ladle to hold a week's supply
> of M&Ms (plain).
>
> I checked the chemical sections of a couple of olde catalogs.  Most of the
> early amateur catalogs don't list anything over about a pound or a quart,
> usually ounces, and almost all chemicals sold were in their separate forms
> requiring the user to mix them.  That's understandable since the main
> ingredient in so many darkroom products is water, and most solutions are
> quite dilute.  You don't want to ship, or pay for the shipping of 10 gallons
> of anything if 9.5 gallons are water.
>
> But in later catalogs, such as Sweet & Wallach 1903, it's obvious that
> commercial users are now more common, and some chemicals were sold in bulk
> form.  The largest pre-packaged quantities sold were of Hypo which was sold
> in granular form in large lots, see the link:
>
> http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/milanpub/Misc/hypo.jpg
>
> The next largest quantity of anything are 5 gallon containers of either
> Velox or Nepera developers in full-strength pre-mixed 5-gallon kegs.  The
> containers pictured earlier are much larger than that (7.5 gallons is about
> 1 cubic foot) but perhaps they were used for storage of the mixed dilute
> solution. 
>
> The usual reasons for using a container of that tall and narrow shape is to
> minimize the surface area exposed to air.  But if the product is in dry,
> granular form, you also have to be able to reach in, or pour it out.  Same
> contraction would apply to any solution after it had been mixed, but which
> might oxidize or evaporate quickly.  If they were storage containers, as we
> might guess, then they could be used for almost anything, but if glazed,
> then probably liquids.
>
> Makes you wonder how the contents were dispensed?  Were there any holes near
> the bottom?  Could be that the square container had molded in pivot points,
> or "grab holds" for tongs ???
>
> Regards,
>
> mz
>   
>