Friday 14 March 2014

Sepia Saturday 219: Vacation Days are Kodak Days


Sepia Saturday by Alan Burnett and Marilyn Brindley

Almost five years ago Bill Nelson shared several images with me from a large, fascinating set of nitrocellulose negatives taken during a grand tour of Europe during the summer of 1904, and very kindly offered me the use of them for future Photo-Sleuth blog posts. It's taken me a while, and I'll admit they did slip off the radar a little in the mean time, but at last I've found an opportunity to use a few of them. Hopefully I'll be able to share more of them in the next few months.

I first obtained them as a packet of nitrocellulose negatives in glassine sleeves, approximately 12 cm x 9.25 cm. Through a little sleuthing of my own, I was able to establish that they were taken beginning in May, 1904 and throughout the summer in England, France, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and, in one instance, Czechoslovakia. Unfortunately, I have not been able to determine the identity of the photographer. I'm working on it.

One thing about these images I find remarkable is that the quality is quite high - I've cleaned them up in some cases, but the images are sharp enough to enlarge to 40 cm x 50 cm. Another is that the images themselves are not typical tourist photos but rather more documentary in character.

Image © and courtesy of Bill Nelson
Stephansdom from the Graben, Wien, 1904
Nitrocellulose negative film, 3½" x 4¼", 118- or 119-format
Image © and courtesy of Bill Nelson

None of the views were annotated, but this one was immediately recognisable to me as the Stephansdom (St Stephen's Cathedral) in Wien (Vienna) with its characteristically patterned roof tiles. Further investigation via Google Earth indicates that, in spite the photographer presumably being an amateur - judging by the content, rather than quality, of the remaining images in the collection - he has taken the trouble to find a suitable viewpoint above street level, in fact on the first floor of a building in the Graben.

The usual horse-drawn traffic which still plies the area around the cathedral today - albeit carrying tourists rather than trade goods - is evident and the streets are mercifully free from thronging hordes. Conveniently overlooking the square in front of the cathedral are the offices of Thomas Cook & Son, and I am very sad to report that the Riedl Hotel Royal is now occupied by none other than ... you guessed it, MacDonalds.

Image © 1989 Brett Payne
Stephansdom, Wien, October 1989
Kodachrome colour positive film, 35mm
Image © 1988 Brett Payne

Having visited Vienna in October 1989 and again in June 1993, I was very much taken with the striking mosaic of roof tiles. Although the impressive interior of the domed roof of the Library of Congress Reading Room depicted in this week's Sepia Saturday Photochrom image is quite different architecturally, it too has a pattern to it that both pleases the eye and emphasizes its slope and expanse.

Image © 1988 Brett Payne
Stephansdom, Wien, October 1988
Kodachrome colour positive film, 35mm
Image © 1988 Brett Payne


Stephansdom, Wien, c. 1901
Photochrom image by Detroit Photographic Co.

Indeed, the Detroit Photographic Co. had published their own colourised photographic view of Stephansdom a few years earlier using the Photochrom process under license.

Image © and courtesy of Bill Nelson
The Asparagus Seller
Nitrocellulose negative film, 3½" x 4¼", 118- or 119-format
Image © and courtesy of Bill Nelson

This wonderful photograph is also from Bill's series of negatives, showing two women selling asparagus and what are probably roast chestnuts wrapped in chestnut leaves from the street in front of a large building. Although it too has no title, I feel there is a distinct possibility that it may have been taken in front of Vienna's famous cathedral.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Stephansdom, Wien, c. 1905
Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Another photograph of Stephansdom taken around the same time shows figures in front of the cathedral who may similarly be touting their wares to tourists and other passersby.

Image © and courtesy of Bill Nelson
Two Gentlemen in London, 1904
Nitrocellulose negative film, 3½" x 4¼", 118- or 119-format
Image © and courtesy of Bill Nelson

As usual when I am looking at early amateur photographs, my mind turned to the camera which might have been used to produce such high quality images. Bill was thinking along similar lines when he emailed me this convivial snapshot from the same series:

I can't believe this never occurred to me in all the years I've been looking at these photos. Look at the "Two Gentlemen" photo [taken in London]. The guy in the straw boater. Do you think that might be a camera case he has slung over his shoulder? The camera was obviously on a tripod for this photo- the shutter speed was too slow for a hand-held shot. I wonder if the photographer himself stepped in front of the camera and had a companion trip the shutter?

The shape of the case looks to me more like one for binoculars than a camera, but to provide a more definitive answer I looked at the size of the negatives. Bill told me that they vary in size to a certain extent, but are generally "approximately 3.6 in. x 4.75 in. or about 92.5 x 120 mm." I presume that these are the maximum dimensions of the cut negatives, which could be expected to vary somewhat, depending on how they were cut. If so, then the actual photographic image dimensions would be a little less, and should be more regular, being defined by the size of the camera body.

Comparing this to the range of roll film available at that time (i.e. 1904ish), I think it most likely that it equates to a size of 3½" x 4¼" (89 x 108). There were several film sizes produced with these dimensions, but the two most likely candidates are the 118 and 119 formats, first manufactured by Kodak in 1900.


No 3 Folding Pocket Kodak Model C3

Several cameras used this film, and the most commonly available ones at the time those photographs were taken were:
118 format: No 3 Folding Pocket Kodak, Models A to C-3 (1900-1907) & Deluxe (1901-1903), No 4 Folding Pocket Ansco
119 format: No 3 Cartridge Kodak (1900-1907)


No 3 Folding Pocket Kodak with leather case

The No 3 Folding Pocket Kodak was produced in huge numbers (over 288,000 between 1900 and 1915, when it was replaced with the No 3 Autographic Kodak), and I think is most likely what was used for the duration of the unidentified photographer's "grand tour." The images above show the camera opened up as well as folded and with its typical leather case. The shape is quite different from that carried by the man in the London street photograph. I am aware, however, that there were other roll film cameras around, as well as more sophisticated plate cameras which had been adapted with roll film backs.

Image © and courtesy of Gail Perlee
The Pringle sisters in the garden, Ontario, Canada, c.1909-1912
Toned silver gelatin print, mounted on album page, 5½" x 3¼"
Image © and courtesy of Gail Perlee

Coincidentally, fellow Sepian Gail Perlee posted a family photograph on her blog Songs of a Nightingale last week of a group of young women posing in a garden. One of these women carries a leather case on a strap around her shoulders which I tentatively identified - because of its size - as being for a No 3A Autographic Kodak Special, slightly larger than the No 3. Gail confirmed the dimensions of the print:
I have the orig. prints. First 2 pix are 3 1/4 x 5 1/2. Shows how astute I am! I thought she was carrying a purse. A 2nd look, of course, shows a camera case!
The 5½" x 3¼" size equates to the 122-format film used by the No 3A.

Image © 2014 Brett Payne
No 3A Autographic Kodak Special, Model B, 1916-1919
Image © 2014 Brett Payne

The No 3A Autographic Kodak Special above, still in excellent condition although sadly without a case, is from my own collection. It is probably very similar to the camera used to take the group portrait in the garden, although manufactured just a few years later. Unfortunately this size film is no longer available, or I would have very much liked to try it out myself.

Courtesy of the Duke University Advertising Ephemera Collection
The Folding Pocket Kodaks, Advertisement, 1901
Courtesy of Duke University Advertising Ephemera Collection Item K0014

Actually, it wasn't a lack of astuteness which led Gail to think she was carrying a purse. As Nancy Martha West discusses in her book, Kodak and the Lens of Nostalgia, the Kodak pocket folding cameras of the 1890s and early 1900s were specifically marketed towards women, and designed to look as much like a purse or pocketbook as possible.

Courtesy of the Duke University Advertising Ephemera Collection
There's more to the Vacation when you Kodak, Advertisement, 1908
Courtesy of Duke University Advertising Ephemera Collection Item K0074

In a series of advertisements appearing widely in newspapers, magazines and even in literature published by the Eastman Kodak Company, the image of the Kodak Girl became synonymous with the amateur photographer.

Courtesy of the Duke University Advertising Ephemera Collection
Bring your Vacation Home in a Kodak, Advertisement, 1905
Courtesy of Duke University Advertising Ephemera Collection Item K0521

Likewise, images of leisure activity in the country, on the beach, at fairs and travelling on holiday overseas pervaded Kodak advertising. I am struck by the similarities in content between several of the images in Bill's 1904 album and the themes commonly portrayed in the Kodak advertising of the time. Compare, for example, this 1905 advertisement of two Kodak girls on a dockside in the Netherlands, one using a Folding Pocket Kodak, the other a Box Brownie, with the photograph taken of two men and a girl wearing clogs in Marken by our anonymous visitor in 1904, reproduced below. All that's missing in the latter is a windmill. There were several similar scenes taken at Marken and Volendam, at least one including a windmill.

Image © and courtesy of Bill Nelson
Men and Girl on the Docks, Marken, Netherlands, 1904
Nitrocellulose negative film, 3½" x 4¼", 118- or 119-format
Image © and courtesy of Bill Nelson

Since this brings us back to the 1904 album, albeit by a somewhat circuitous route, I'll leave it there for now. I'm very grateful to Bill and Gail for permission to use the images from their respective collections. The rest of the negatives from the Grand Tour set can be seen on his FlickrStream here. Once you've seen those, head over to Sepia Saturday to check out the remainder of this week's contributions.

34 comments:

  1. I can't believe how clear and sharp those photographs taken with nitrocellulose film are. Of course I know next to nothing about film - you're the sleuth. All I used to look for was whether or not it was 35mm & how many pictures I could get out of it - & I could usually coax at least 2 or 3 more pictures than the film said I could! Now, of course, I have a digital camera & only need a flash card. :)) Good post and you beat me to it, too. Dang!

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    1. They are magnificent - he was VERY good, although I suspect he used a tripod.

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    2. Brilliant photos. I especially like the one of the two men in London.

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    3. Indeed Howard - most of this photographer's images have an immediacy and presence to them which is unusual, particular for an amateur working shortly after the turn of the century.

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  2. The architectural and engineering genius that led to Stephansdom boggles my mind. Of course, YOU boggle the mind as well. Really - you can figure out the brand of camera based on the size of the negative. That's a different world!

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    1. Kind comments, thank you Wendy. Yes, the Stephansdom was one of many highlights in my trips to Vienna - there's so much to see there, I could go again ... and again.

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  3. Incredibly wonderful images. Enjoyed seeing them, thanks.

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    1. Glad you took the time to visit and comment, thanks luvlinens :-)

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  4. So much to enjoy here Brett. I visited Vienna twice too; as a 13 year-old and a 16 year-old and that magnificent building features in my old slides and pictures.

    You would have enjoyed a programme we watched last night on BBC iPlayer about the amateur photographs taken by soldiers on both sides of WW1. The Kodak folding ‘vest’ camera was all they used. It was remarkable what they achieved.

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    1. Glad you found it of interest, Marilyn. I recently found out that you can still get 127-format film, so now I'm looking for an affordable Vest Pocket Kodak in good condition!

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  5. I can't get over those roof tiles. I've never seen them before. They are certainly distinctive. I'm with you. I think he's got a pair of binoculars over his arm...not a camera.

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    1. They're even more impressive in real life, Alex. You'll have to go and visit Vienna some time.

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  6. The images are surprisingly good. I really like the roof pattern too, though I wouldn't have noticed it if you hadn't pointed it out. if you hadn't pointed it out.

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    1. It's tempting to think they may have been produced by a professional, but other images in the series are decidely amateurish, with subjects unlikely for commercial prints.

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  7. That's one of the paradoxes of the collection of images. In most cases, there is only one image of a given situation, with no bracketing and no alternative poses. That suggests editing. On the other hand, there are negatives with double exposures, light leaks and some just plain unsuccessful shots (most of those were left out of the Flickr Photostream) that suggest no editing at all. If you visit the Flickr site, I think you'll get a sense of it.

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    1. Yes, it's still something of a mystery, but perhaps it will be solved in due course, and I look forward to sharing more photos when I can find an appropriate "angle."

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  8. This was a fascinating story, Brett. I've been to Wien and Stephansdom is a great wonder in part because its size dominates the close pedestrian streets of the city center. The photo of the two men is wonderful for the contrast between gentleman and tourist, and I agree that the case is for binoculars. The last photo is my favorite because of the Dutch folk dress and they way they are gawping at something off camera.

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    1. Practically every photo in Bill's series is worth examining in some detail, even when they are not necessarily successful in a conventional sense. I'm sure there's a great deal more to be learnt from them, and likewise a lot of enjoyment to be had in researching them.

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  9. Wonderful photographs, and great sleuthing work on your part, as usual!

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  10. An extraordinary collection of images and ephemera. In particular I am struck by the photographs. In my opinion, there is something very pure and beautiful about images shot on film, something which is being lost in this digital age. Thank you for sharing both the collection and your expertise.

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    1. These negatives are particularly clear, and quite spectacular, I agree. Digital photos may be even clearer, but you are right, something has been lost, even if only in our minds.

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  11. I love how elaborately that cathedral is. The photography back then was just as elaborate for the technology they had at the time. Great post! :)

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    1. In the right hands a decent camera could, and still can, produce the most stunning images. Thanks for commenting, Doug.

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  12. Great post, and photos, and of course the two gentlemen in London catch my eye!

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    1. Yes, Karen, they certainly are arresting, aren't they. The buildings and traffic in the background are essential to the picture, but almost fade into the background, leaving the two men totally absorbed in their conversation.

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  13. That roof is amazing. It almost looks like fabric.

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    1. Yes, when I was there on my first visit I found it mesmerising, and wenrt back several times to look at it.

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  14. Architectural details like the one on this cathedral are so interesting - and then to have you provide even more detail is wonderful. I enjoyed your old Kodak advertisements.

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    1. Glad you liked the ads Nancy. I suspect that the influences the choice of photographic subjects a great deal in those old days of amateur snapshots.

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  15. Stephansdom was very impressive, one wonders how much $$ it would cost to build an exact replica these days?

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    1. I imagine just the repairs and maintenance bill must be enormous.

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  16. Stunning images. Beautiful composition and clarity. A real find. And thanks for the informative post.

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