Dear Roger
What a pleasure to have you reply.
You may argue any time.
Apparently all these companies announced simultaneously. Given the association of these governments and business at the time, I wonder if there was sharing of the necessary information then.
"George Eastman House
Photography Timeline
1940 Ansco, Agfa, and Sakura Natural color film introduced
1941 Eastman Kodak introduces Kodacolor negative film"
This is a timeline of Anscos activities in Birmingham N.Y. and I must confess that I presumed the paper and film went together.
Dead Link Removed
"1942
Ansco color film is introduced. It is the first American color film which can be processed by the user. Ansco color paper is also introduced. Unfortunately, no film or paper is available for the amateur market. All production is directed to the government."
In this oral History, Glennan describes Ansco making the first competitive American made color film, and mentions Gaevert in Belgium. Since Kodak came out with their color negative film a year later I presumed this reference referred to negative film.
http://airandspace.si.edu/research/dsh/TRANSCPT/GLENNAN3.HTM
Than I came across this which put that thought in the dustbin.
http://www.fiafnet.org/pdf/uk/04FIAF66.pdf
Ansco Color was one of the very first
35mm chromagenic tri-pack film
systems to be used for feature films.
General Aniline Co, of Binghampton, NY,
USA, had an agreement with Agfa before
WW2, and used Agfa technology for film
manufacture from 1940. However,
instead of using the semi-experimental
Agfa negative-positive process, they
based their system on the reversal Afga
Neue sold from 1936 for stills. The
process was initially only used by the
military, but by 1945/6 three films were
available, a camera film, a low contrast
duplicating intermediate, and a print
film. All were reversal. In many respects
the system was similar to Kodachrome,
and the later Ektachrome Commercial,
but was available in 35mm and 16mm.
So it seems my comments are more to be applied to reversal film.
One last titbit, apparently Joe Rosenthals Iwo Jima photo was done on Ansco film, albeit Black and White.
Double Cheers
Bill