Saturday, March 3, 2012

A120 Brownie film from 20s developed


I received this from Eagle River, WI: (2) two glass tubes with Kodak developer and (1)roll of antique Kodak A120-6 Brownie film on (equally antique) wooden spool.
Now, for the record: this is not the best way to store film!
"A" in the film's name has a meaning: it is an "Autographic" type of film. This type of roll film had additional copy paper layer providing photographer an opportunity to write notes on the film using small metal stylus at the time of the exposure.
This additional paper layer is good for the preservation; films of this type are usually survive longer than the rest of the pack, this one is no exclusion from the rule: been cellulose nitrate-based film, it is not supposed to be in a good shape at all, but it is.
I checked the copy paper layer after I rolled the film into the developing spiral -- no, no luck, no notes.
I developed the film in cold (42F) concentrated (10%) Kodak HC-110 developer for 5min 30sec, as development tests suggested. Three (out of six) frames survived:

Girl with clarinet. She is wearing 20s or early 30s style dress.


The boyscout. For some reason I think the camera was his.


This last not-so-sharp frame is good for dating the roll: this is most likely
1925' Studebaker Standard Six sedan

1925...a lot of water passed Miami River's delta:) Developer is from the same time frame...I can imagine our boyscout leaving the small town where he spent summer. He is heading for Chicago or Detroit, leaving old roll behind in grandma's house, instantly forgetting about it: he has giant life rolling in front of him, sparkling and beautiful.
It is fully unrolled now, leaving us just these three frames, actually four since there is one more where some trees are visible and the rest is fogged and...that's it.

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