After Finding 120-Year-Old Undeveloped Cat Pictures In A Time Capsule, A Photographer Decided To Develop Them
Some old family keepsakes are interesting, and some are pure gold for anyone who loves a good mystery. In this case, a photographer opened a time capsule from around 1900 and found two glass plate negatives tucked away in a basement box.
The discovery happened in Mathieu Stern’s old family house, where a relative pointed him toward the forgotten stash. What he found inside led him to revive images of a cat, and the results quickly turned into a small internet obsession.
Now the century-old photos are back in view, and the story behind them is just as charming as the pictures themselves.
Mathieu Stern, a French photographer, filmmaker, and YouTuber, found a time capsule in his old family house and wanted to develop the negatives he discovered inside.
Stern estimated that the items in the box date back to the year 1900.
Stern found the little “time capsule” in the cellar of his old family home after being informed 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 things, it included two glass negatives that Stern decided to develop.
He chose to do this using one of the oldest photography print methods 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 began by covering a piece of paper with cyanotype solution.
He placed the glass negative on the paper coated with cyanotype liquid in a wooden frame and secured it firmly.
He decided to document the entire process, as any self-respecting filmmaker would, and post it online. He proved that cat pictures were beautiful even before the internet.
It also reminded me of the man who strapped a camera to his cat to film playful adventures.
The wooden frame with the negative inside was left under UV light for about half an hour.
Then he soaked the photograph in water and finished with hydrogen peroxide.
The memory of a cat who lived about 120 years ago came back to life.
Stern developed the second photograph.
It was a photo of the same cat along with her kitten and a cute dog.
The public fell in love with the photos and the background story.
After finding the 1900 negatives, you’ll love these 21 unfiltered shots that nail perfect timing.
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