ASCORBIC ACID DEVELOPING COMPOSITION AND METHOD FOR USING THE SAME

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an improved and stabilized developing composition. SOLUTION: The black-and-white photographic developing composition does not substantially contain a dihydroxybenzene compound and contains a) an ascorbic acid developing agent and b) a stabilizing amount of a sulfur-containing compound of the formula M1S-R-CH(NH2)-COOM2, M1S-R1-COOM2, R2-S-S-R2 or R3NH-R4-SM1 [where R is a divalent aliphatic linking group having at least 1C atom in its chain; R1 is phenylene or a 1 or 2C unsubstituted alkylene; R2 is an at least 2C monovalent aliphatic group containing -CH(NHR3)-COOM2 or-(1-3C)alkylene-CH(NHR3)-COOM2; R3 is H, a 1-3C alkyl or phenyl; R4 is alkylene, cyclohexylene or phenylene; and M1 and M2 are each H, an alkali metal or ammonium ion or methyl].