Bye Bye Bill.

I was sad to hear that Bill Rowlinson, probably the finest Black and White printer of his time, died this week. There is a really nice piece on him in the BJP which you can read here.
I met Bill a fair few years ago when I first started printing when my former black and White mentor introduced me at an AOP event (Ilford printer of the year I think). He was not only a wizard in the darkroom, he also looked liked a wizard resembling Gandolf from Lord of the rings, an image most people imagine when they think of someone who spends long hours in the dark surrounded by bottles of mysterious chemicals...
Without getting misty eyed and writing of how things where better back in the day I will simply just mention that its always sad when a piece of the past is gone. A craftsman's skill has almost vanished completely and Bill's death really brings this home. 150 years of craftsmanship gone like an instant Polaroid.

Although I was glad to get out of the black and white world before the bubble burst I do remember those crazy, dark smelly days of moisture and backache with a fondness few understand, unlike dear old Bill....

The best piece of advice Bill gave me was how NOT to make Cyanide gas by mixing various chemistry which could be found in most black and white darkrooms. Now that was a clever man. Didn't stop me though, no wonder I have no hair....