[LargeFormat] Photoshop plug ins

[Les Newcomer]

Okay I realize this forum is more in tune with Mr. Ludd than Mr. Adobe but 
not being completely in tune with all of the list serves, I thought I'd 
ask the question with people I'm familiar with.  (Sort of like looking for 
your lost keys outside because the light is better)

If you click here, you'll find a very bad scan of a hot mount press taken 
from a catalog out of the 30s.   
http:home.twmi.rr.com/lnphoto/hotmountpres.jpg  Please ignore the moire 
pattern

Astute followers of this list will remember a thread about hot mount 
presses and while mine looks similar it does have the modernization of 
being electric. But I digress.

My questions are:
What is it about this image that makes it look like it does?

How can I duplicate it?

Is there a Plug in that can create this?

Is there a better forum to ask the question?

Granted some of the highlights are drawn in, and with this example, the 
smooth surface may have had help from an airbrush, but I've seen similar 
photos of Speed Graphic cameras with textured surfaces and the same 
overall look.

I can describe the image in terms that the lighting is relatively flat, 
the background has been opaqued out and a non descript shadow as been 
added to ground the object.  The contrast is relatively low, but with high 
local separation.

And yet that same paragraph can describe just about any 1950s catalog 
photo of a Pacemaker Graphic, and they look radically different.

It seems to be a halftone version of an engraving, which would have made 
sense during the 20s.
  Paper and the type of printing press doesn't seem to have an effect as I'
ve seen similar photos reproduced in Graphic Graflex Photography to show 
their old equipment and the effect is still there.  The same is true with 
1970s reproduction catalogs.  I have a Graflex catalogs from '04 and 1919 
and while not quite as delicate, they still look old.

I fear I may have to find a photo engraver that was working in the 30s.  
That should be simple. Finding one alive, coherent, and lucid poses 
greater obsticles.

I've searched google for plug ins and got discouraged after the 5th page 
of blue flames spelling out ROLAIDS on ice-cream while the cone morphs 
into a mountain top above a cherry pie, and flying toaster running into 
Steve Jobs mouth.