The film that time forgot

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  • pt

  • This series of photos was taken on a roll of Kodak Verichrome V620 film that expired in June of 1949.


    ‘I came by the film at an auction along with 3 other rolls for less than $10. When I got the film I was surprised at what good condition the box was in. I actually felt a little regret when I broke the adhesive to open it. Here it had been sitting for well over a half century, who was I to disturb it?!


    ‘I felt like a film of that age should be exposed through glass that had also seen the better part of 5 decades so I shot it through an Argus Seventy-Five TLR which is a bakelite camera from the 50′s.


    ‘There is no aperture or focus control and a manual shutter release. I had to guess at how much speed the film had lost over the last 62 years so getting the right exposure was extremely difficult.


    ‘With all these variables there had to be a constant: The architecture of Paris. Despite the film lacking clarity and contrast these timeless structures are instantly recognizable. They brood through even the flowing distortion of the film.


    ‘In ’49 when this film expired the commercial airline industry was just beginning its huge post war expansion. I can only imagine the awe that the passengers must have felt when flying for the first time. The last image of the clouds from an airplane conveys that sense of wonder to me so I included it in the set. ‘


    - Michael R Dunham


    This capsule was curated by David Zaza

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