Assistance with Id'ing Fake Photographs

[Bill T]

***UV LIGHT TEST FOR PHOTO PAPER***

Just wanted to pass on a few interesting pointers about the old Blacklight/UV testing I've been reading more about lately.

** Optical Brighteners were used in photo papers ONLY AFTER WWII from what I have gathered. Opt. Brighteners WILL GLOW, meaning that the glowing photo paper you are looking at is most likely not WWII Period.

However..... Not ALL POSTWAR photo paper was made using Opt Brighteners.....therefore some post-war papers WILL NOT GLOW!

So you see, this is where photo paper gets tricky, and goes to show that the blacklight test should only be one of your tools to use when trying to date photo papers. Handling and studying numerous types of period photos is really the best way to arm yourself!

[tempelhof]

yes, this is exactly correct. i alluded to this problem in another thread.

when using a UV light on any paper, go by this rubric and you will not err:

if it glows, it is definitely post war. if it does not glow, it may or may not be post war.


using this standard, if a paper glows, you are armed with an irrefutable fact: that paper is post war.

if a paper does not glow, you may have more work to do with respect to authentication.

i have been using UV on paintings for many years. they are very useful when used and interpreted as Bill T states. again, if there's no glow, you do not have an irrefutable indication as to period. you only have this if the paper glows.

also, as Bill T. states, you must constantly study and arm yourself with respect to anomalies in the images themselves. the UV light is simply part of an armetarium
necessary to evaluate period photos.

i myself have much to learn and information on period photographic papers and issues with the images on those papers isn't the easiest thing to find. the UV light, however, is commonly used and interpreted in many applications.

[slados28]

SSamir was unfortunately a victim of "Tolzor1", who was mentioned on the previous page. As you can see.....the scammer goes to the trouble of putting black paper on the reverse to make it look like the photo was torn from a photo album.
thanks for posting both sides Samir

I actually got the photo I'm currently using as my profile pic from this scammer, saw him selling another copy a month or so ago... knew then and there I had been had and now I KNOW.
Didn't pay much though, the photo has got the black "photo album" paper bits on the back and everything. A list of scammers would be useful indeed... I actually felt that the photo was kind of too iconic/tasty at the time of bidding but went for it anyway, my loss --- his gain, unfortunately.

So, I'll add an obvious and apparently well-known scammer to the list right now:

tolzor1


I can add scans of front and back of this particular photo later

[tempelhof]

a list? that's a very, very good idea. haven't seen anything like that before. seems so obviously helpful too. the thing should be pinned and updated periodically.

[pagannz]

A list is a good idea, there is a list of scammers who sell fakes in the Imperial thread that is pinned that I have found very helpful

[Paul D]

I actually got the photo I'm currently using as my profile pic from this scammer, saw him selling another copy a month or so ago... knew then and there I had been had and now I KNOW.
Didn't pay much though, the photo has got the black "photo album" paper bits on the back and everything. A list of scammers would be useful indeed... I actually felt that the photo was kind of too iconic/tasty at the time of bidding but went for it anyway, my loss --- his gain, unfortunately.

So, I'll add an obvious and apparently well-known scammer to the list right now:

tolzor1


I can add scans of front and back of this particular photo later

Good old Tolzor1 is one of the worst who are scamming many people on ebay at the moment but he seems to have been joined by a guy from New Zealand who has taken up his mantel so watch out !!

[Bill T]

Paul, you are correct. Not too long ago, Tolzor1 was "grouped" with TotenkopfElite and Sankyoaikido.......all of whom sold Fakes mixed with a few original period photos.

These guys help each other obtain and produce photos...and you can tell because they will be printed on same or similar paper and they all setup there Ebay Sales Pages/watermarks the same way.

[Bill T]

LIST OF EBAY SELLERS to be careful of

This will get us started for now......but the list WILL grow.

TOLZOR1
Totenkopf_Elite
Sankyoaikido
Adolffe
Mullwin (russian Archive fakes)
love2dig4 (some good ones, but alot of bad panzer pics)
quabil
Enna2 (some photos are bad, but he is doing better and at least trying to sell good ones)
mister.kite (bad ones)

[Bill T]

Some GOOD Ebay Sellers

Koelsch333
FotoHistoriker
Engelbubu-foto
Lopesan
EA-antik
Antikfuchs1
ba-re
dragons72
fotohistorik
freshfound
gamsdivision1944
keithmydog
Isru31c
new-lsmft5
reichskarte
rwcmilitaria
therebelslacker
321..dankshehr
Milantik2000

The list could go on......but these are the more popular sellers which sell period Original photos.

[Bill T]

Here is One that I believe to be a modern printed image on Period (good) photo paper. The paper just might have a chance I think. A decent one that could trick alot of people. (if my suspicions are correct)

Anyone else have opinions about it?