When Peter Waldman died in July 2023 we lost not only an enthusiastic darkroom member, but also a good friend and generous contributor. He was one of the first people to offer to give a talk, and the three he gave about his experiences of working with Richard Avedon were all sell-outs! You can get a flavour of them here.
While working for Avedon, Peter spent a lot of time in his darkroom processing and printing films overnight for the photographer to view on the day following the shoot. His preferred enlarger was the Omega D 11 cold cathode, “great for making dust disappear”. When, after seven years of gruelling assisting, it was time to go, “the boss” generously gifted Peter his favourite enlarger to take back to the UK. So the story goes.
After years of languishing in boxes, because he did not have room for a darkroom (which is why he ended up becoming a darkroom member), Peter offered this treasured possession to us. Unable to find all the components in his cluttered house, we had to wait until after his death for Peter’s brother Gary to locate all the bits and pieces and contact us to arrange collection. It looked like it had been stored in damp shed, it was covered in cobwebs, mould and dirt.
Opening up the Aristo cold cathode head revealed an alarming jumble of wiring and rust. Uncertain whether it had been adapted for UK power, we called in Rich Wilkinson, our go-to electrical expert in situations like this. Initially flummoxed, Rich did some deep diving into online darkroom chat forums, and managed to design a wiring solution that not only increased the safety of the unit, but also enabled the connection of a timer.
While this was being done, darkroom’s Phil Grey cleaned and serviced the column and chassis, so that it now glides smoothly and the light seals effectively. Test prints have been made and everything seems to be working almost as good as new. It comes with a full range of negative carriers: 35mm, 6 x 4.5, 6 x 6, 6 x 7 and 5 x 4, as well as compatible lenses.
Come along and give it a test drive. It might even bring out your inner-Avedon!