Topic: Lou Jacobs Jr.'s Darkroom

[Francois]

In my ongoing series, I present to you Lou Jacobs Jr.

One of Edward Weston's friends, he is responsible for many images of famous artists of the 40's and 50's.

For those interested in learning a bit more, here is his bio.

His darkroom is as personal as it is functional. Though I don't think keeping hacksaws in the darkroom is such a great idea

As usual, I know the book it still copyrighted, though probably largely out of print. So if anybody doesn't feel OK with the content, just PM me and I'll remove the text and images...

Lou Jacobs, Jr., is one of the leading writers in photography. He has written numerous books and many technical articles for the New York Times and photographic magazines. His darkroom is located in his home in Studio City, California, and occupies a small building a short walk from the main house. A nearby shaded patio and swimming pool are a pleasant adjunct.
The darkroom is 12' x 5' and has been designed mainly for processing and printing black and white photographs. It is a very personal space designed and decorated to meet the needs of only one person, the photographer.
Immediately next to the darkroom is an office/library area where Jacobs does most of his writing. The proximity of the two spaces and their separation from the main house make them a quiet and functional work area.
Jacobs is a prolific writer who also continues to practice photography. He does both personal and commercial work and it is this ongoing involvement between his practice and his writing that makes his work authoritative and reliable

DeMaio, Joe, Curtin, Dennis, The darkroom handbook - A complete guide to the best design, construction and equipment. Curtin & London inc. Marblehead, Massachusetts, 1979

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[gothamtomato]

There was another Lou Jacobs as well - The great circus clown:



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[db]

Pegboards can be a good idea. ( for hanging up your clown suit?)

This is the size darkroom I relate to- small with every inch accounted for. When a room is that small and that full it gets messy really fast, but I guess we all just build a darkroom into whatever space we have available.

And we don't all have lofts with fluted columns and plexi windows.

[Francois]

I must admit those fluted columns were a bit too much for me.

Though I've never been a big fan of Pegboards... they always look messy (though they are quite handy)

I still have one more darkroom to show from that book. The next one will be more "human sized" and inspirational (I hope).

[db]

I still have one more darkroom to show from that book. The next one will be more "human sized" and inspirational (I hope).

They have been good. Thanks for taking the trouble to scan them. Hopefully an inspiration to anyone planning to build a darkroom. Now, to keep the historical theme going I could start to post articles from the British Photographic Almanac of 1939 

[SuzanneR]

Is that a gun on the peg board? 

[gothamtomato]

Is that a gun on the peg board? 

That does look like a dueling pistol. I guess you never know when Aaron Burr may stop by.

[gothamtomato]

Pegboards can be great for organizing everything out where you can see it. The only problem is they collect dust (in the holes), and are harder to keep clean that smooth surfaces.

[Francois]

Is that a gun on the peg board? 

Yep... it's  a gun... either for protection from dangerous critics, against darkroom burglars who are after your precious prints or just in case you want to convert the room into an instant pinhole camera