35mm and VS

[Osi Osgood]

OK, there are a few 35mm cartoons that I would like to buy, but I really don't know how to treat VS. Is there any chance of successfully treated VS?

[Ed Gordon]

In a word, no. You can slow the process down, but you can't stop it.

Safety motion picture film (so called because it is not flammable like nitrate base film) was almost always made of cellulose acetate plastic. A key issue in preserving this type of film is controlling the form of decay known as "vinegar syndrome." More properly referred to as acetate film base degradation, vinegar syndrome is a very similar problem to nitrate base deterioration. Its causes are inherent in the chemical nature of the plastic and its progress very much depends on storage conditions.

The symptoms of vinegar syndrome are a pungent vinegar smell (hence the name), followed eventually by shrinkage, embrittlement, and buckling of the gelatin emulsion. Storage in warm and humid conditions greatly accelerates the onset of decay. Once it begins in earnest, the remaining life of the film is short because the process speeds up as it goes along. Early diagnosis and cold, moderately dry storage are the most effective defenses.

From: https://www.filmpreservation.org/pre...negar-syndrome

[Larry Arpin]

You can always freeze it. That's what I do.

[Osi Osgood]

Is VS "contagious"? If a film with VS is stored other prints that are perfectly fine, will they get VS eventually, or is this simply more a deal with film stock and each prints individual inconsistenties?