Archival Kodacolor???

[archer]

As I was looking through some very old boxes of prints, I came upon the very first color photos from my first photo outing with a brand new Argus snapshooter, I bought at the drug store. This was taken on Kodacolor and printed by whoever the drug store sent the film to. There has been no digital color correction or manipulation other than resizing. I find the color to be amazing as the picture was taken in 1960.
Denise Libby

 

[Prest_400]

Nice. It looks a little bit Magenta but it's in excellent condition for being this type of material.
In my family "collection" there is a roll or two of Kodacolor, early 70s I guess. It's in a noticeably worse condition that yours -the prints. That, being stored in a nice cold place. Many of the Agfachromes stored in the same place still look wonderful, with no fading. Except on a roll that must have been misprocessed with a very strong green cast.

 

[holmburgers]

Wow, is that Kennedy? Incredible picture... I wonder when was the last time a presidential candidate spoke from a caboose?

 

[bblhed]

Wow, is that Kennedy? Incredible picture... I wonder when was the last time a presidential candidate spoke from a caboose?

Obama and McCain both did it for the last election.

http://cruiselinehistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/19blog-obama-train.jpg

Can't find photos of McCain on a train quickly right now.

Here is a question, with that really great archival Kodak slide film no longer being produced is there an archival film being produced today that will produce color photos that will last as slides, negatives or prints for 100 plus years?

 

[holmburgers]

Wow, really? Amtrak? hahah

Modern films/papers are much more archivally stable than they were before, save for Kodachrome. We're better off today with any modern material than they were back in the 60's.

Check this out.... (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[wblynch]

As I was looking through some very old boxes of prints, I came upon the very first color photos from my first photo outing with a brand new Argus snapshooter, I bought at the drug store. This was taken on Kodacolor and printed by whoever the drug store sent the film to. There has been no digital color correction or manipulation other than resizing. I find the color to be amazing as the picture was taken in 1960.

Denise Libby

Hi Denise,

A recent project of mine was to digitize a box of my sister's old negatives (mostly 1970's) and there was a tremendous difference in quality depending on which lab had done them.

Of course, there isn't an actual lab name available but the cheap drugstore stuff was 50% discolored and needing a lot of correction but the ones that had been proudly processed by Kodak were almost like new.

The prints inside were just as revealing. The Kodak prints look fresh, the others are faded and nearly unviewable.

Love your sample picture !!

 

[Ian Grant]

Interesting image Denise.

i wonder about Kodacolor and it's archival qualities, I never found it that good based on my parents images and my own first colour negative/positive images were made on Agfacolor later in the mid 60's.

My father only shot Kodachrome and his mid 50's images up to Kodachrome II and the mid 60's have definitely faded some badly, My mother then took the family images always on Kodacolor, but the colours were always mediocre, unlike the Kodachromes, probably the lab and lack of exposure controls.

However I don't think any of our family Kodacolor shots have faded much, I can't be 100% sure but I know I chose Agfacolor because I'd always been disappointed in colour photographs, and the difference was startling. I had true colours at last.

Unless you lived and worked/photographed through it it's hard to describe the enormous leap forward Kodak films in particular made with the switch from C-22 to C41 and E3/4 to E6. Agfa were part way there with their own separate processes and Fuji had tamed E3/4 and had begun to take business from Kodal, after C41/E6 Fuji never looked back.

Ian

 

[Photo Engineer]

Wow, is that Kennedy? Incredible picture... I wonder when was the last time a presidential candidate spoke from a caboose?

That is NOT a caboose!

PE

 

[holmburgers]

Well I'm no rail expert, but what the heck is it then!?

 

[Dave in Kansas]

I've heard it referred to as a vestibule or rear platform. The "drumhead" is the large round object hanging from the rear that usually contained the railroad's logo, or in this case something about the campaign.

Dave

 

[neelin]

I "binged" caboose and all I can see is an anatomical part of k. kardashian, so Dave in Kansas is spot on.

 

[Photo Engineer]

It is an Observation car and that is an Observation platform. The cars were luxuriously appointed with swivel armchairs and small tables. It is like todays Dome cars in some ways. Passenger trains usually consisted of a standard set of cars with both 1st class and coach. They still do AAMOF.

PE

 

[Dave in Kansas]

You are correct, PE. I believe the "vestibule" more accurately refers to the platform between cars.

One of my childhood memories was riding on the platform or vestibule of a Burlington train with my father between Kansas City and Quincy. In those days the toilets flushed down onto the side of the tracks and I remember seeing the water flush down from the cars ahead while riding along. He told me it was a good idea to pull your head back when you see the water or you might feel the mist. He had a theory that it was generally better to ride on the side that had the men's bathroom because he thought men didn't flush the toilet as often as women. That was his theory anyway, and I really don't know how valid it really was.

Dave

 

[Photo Engineer]

Dave;

Great memories. I used to ride the B&O in to Pittsburgh and back home and also rode it and the NYC up to Michigan. Those were great trips back then. Today, I have traveled from NYC across the US practically, via AMTRAK and it is still fun. Great service, far rivaling the airlines.

PE

 

[Ray Rogers]

and it is still fun. Great service, far rivaling the airlines.

PE

And now without the pat downs and full body voyeurs!