In rec.photo.equipment.35mm Paul Schmidt wrote:

Actually I think Ilford invented the black border, Cibachrome prints
done with a blank border means a black border rather then a white one.

I think it predates Cibachrome by quite a long way. I've got a book
"Miniature Photography" by Richard Simon published in 1937 in which
the author explains how he prints dark borders on his prints.
After making an enlargement, take a piece of card the size of the
print minus the border and place it on the enlarging paper and expose
the edges with a pocket flashlight or the enlarger with negative
removed.

Some folks thought it was cool, and could be done with Negative prints,
simply by putting something over the exposed print raising the easel
border, and then giving it double tim exposure under the enlarger with
no negative in the carrier. Burns the border in wonderful black.

It can look cool if well done, but it certainly predates Cibabchrome
by many years.

Peter.
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