The unknown Philips Enlarger

AgX · Sep 25, 2020

Next to the known PNL and PCS enlargers Philips also offered around 1983 very shortly a most primitive one lens-element enlarger within the experimenting-kits range.

The idea was to offer a boys-book with an adventure story in which photographs play a role: "Markus mit den drei Augen" (Markus with the three Eyes).
At the end of some chapters reference is made to a certain photograph taken. The respective negative is found on an enclosed 4-image film-strip.
The negative can be enlarged and printed by means of that primitive enlarger added as a construction kit.
To my great surprise neither photopaper nor chemicals seem to have been added.

http://norbert.old.no/kits/ee3000/ee3073.html

ic-racer · Sep 25, 2020

I started photography with something similar intended for the USA market for kids. It came with Kodak Tri-chem-packs, trays, tank and contact frame. It was like a toy set but it really worked and I really processed film with it.

AgX · Sep 26, 2020

What I do not understand with that Philips construction kit is how they solved the issue with the darkroom lighting.

Nothing of that kind contained in the kit.

AgX · Sep 26, 2020

This reminds me of the several soviet UPA enlargers in a suitcase (even with autofocus). If one could have a basic model and have added space for dishes and a darkroom light, that would have been a nice suitcase for children.
The UPA 750 case even would have yielded space for a stack af small trays, graduate and a plain-bulb or so darkroom light.

Or such combo of a lamp house and Smena camera. Would have made fitting into a suitcase even more easy:
http://ussrphoto.com/Wiki/default.a...tID=613&Item=Smena+with+Photographic+Enlarger

miha · Sep 26, 2020

AgX said:
...To my great surprise neither photopaper nor chemicals seem to have been added.

http://norbert.old.no/kits/ee3000/ee3073.html

I guess one could get paper and chemistry in many brick and mortar stores in the neighborhood in the 80s. In 1990 I got my first box of Fotokemika paper as well as their universal developer in a bigger general store in my town counting 10,000 souls only.

AgX · Sep 26, 2020

Yes, in the 70's I could buy darkroom supplies at a large supermarket (department store like), but then still one would at least had to buy an expensive filter-coated bulb and screw it into the socket of the bathroom luminaire, if such was possible.

Maybe the idea was to process the paper directly under the enlarger. Illuminated by that tiny lamp. But I do not see any kind of red filter in the listing.

EDIT:
At that site underneath the comment is a listing of the stuff to acquire seperately. As a torch light with red or green transparency paper in front of it.
Clumsy, but it would have added to the adventurous mood of that, a kind of conspirative work.

guangong · Sep 26, 2020

In late 40s or early 50s I had a kit designed for kids mad by FR with very small trays. I remember the man with the cigar. No enlarger. As I remember just a tiny contact frame that held one 127 frame. Developed film shot with my Donald Duck camera. Wish I had that camera now. Probably worth more than all my Leicas combined.
Probably such a kit would be illegal now.

AgX · Sep 26, 2020

I just checked for the Philips chemistry experimenting kits from the 70's. They still could be sold over the counter here today, except for the Potassiumpermanganate that only may be sold to adults and where a safety instruction has to be given.

The typical photo processing concentrates are not restricted over here to be sold to children.

btaylor · Sep 26, 2020

ic-racer said:
I started photography with something similar intended for the USA market for kids. It came with Kodak Tri-chem-packs, trays, tank and contact frame. It was like a toy set but it really worked and I really processed film with it.

Ha! I found mine when we were cleaning out the basement of my childhood home. I processed 2x3 sheets from my Baby Speed Graphic in the trays and contact printed them. It included a contact printing box where you stored the trays. I still have some of the prints I made with it 55 years later.

ic-racer · Sep 26, 2020

I remember feeling superior to my older brother because the 127-size prints we made from my plastic 127 camera were BIGGER than the tiny ones from his metal 35mm camera

The unknown Philips Enlarger

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