Good Intentions and Lost Memories
Don’t judge me.
I set a goal at the end of 2023 to sell-off some of the film cameras that I was no longer using, and, to not purchase any additional film cameras in 2024.
I’m still on track for the first goal, having sold 3 cameras and 60+ rolls of 35mm film that I was never going to shoot. But – that second goal – well, um – I made it about 15 days into 2024 before I failed on that one.
Hear me out.
Last weekend it was single-digit temperatures in our area, so on Sunday, to get some indoor walking exercise, Renee and I went to a large local antique mall called “Antiques Village”. I’ve been there many times in the past, and I know that everywhere you look there, you see an old camera. Here a camera, there a camera, everywhere a camera. Given my goal of not buying any additional film cameras in 2024, It’s like being an alcoholic in a discount liquor store.
Luckily for me, most of the cameras you see there are broken/dead bakelite cameras from the 50’s (with the exception of the Voigtlander Bessa 1 I bought there in December for almost nothing, but that’s for a later blog post). So going in, I wasn’t really all that concerned about my willpower.
In one of the booths I spotted a Anscoflex II, complete with its ever ready leather case, a flash attachment, and the original leather latched box to carry it all. The AnscoFlex II is one of the many “psuedo TLR” cameras from the 1950’s, but with a very unique design that slaps with Mid-Century Modern flair. It was designed by Raymond Loewy, one of the most iconic designers of the past century. That name may or may not be familiar to you, but you are probably familiar with many of his designs – the most notable being the Coke bottle shape. He also designed many cars, airplanes, and train locomotives, along with many company logos that endure to this day.
Knowing a little about the camera, I picked it up and gave it a good going over to see if it was working properly. I noticed that the red window on the back of the camera had a “10” present in it, which meant there was film in the camera. What images could be on the film? When was it last shot? Did someone open the back and ruin the film already? All of the usual things that I think about when finding an old roll of film went through my head.
I cranked it through until the film was spooled up on the take-up reel for safe-keeping, and then with the greatest amount of self-restraint, I put it back down in the case and walked away. Not a single camera came home with me that day.
That night I kept thinking about the camera. It’s not like it is rare or anything like that; a quick search on eBay will turn up dozens of them in varying states for not much scratch. But the fact this one was nearly perfect with all of the accessories, and also may have a hidden gem of someone’s undeveloped memories in it, made it difficult to put it out of my mind. Renee of course told me to just go buy it, and so did another friend that I talked to.
The next morning, I checked my emails, and saw that there was a message from Antiques Village telling me everything was on sale. Do I need to say what I did next?
I said don’t judge me.
I know, I know. Here’s where you tell me “There’s no “I” in judgement, but there is a U”. Point taken.
After I came home with the camera, I opened it up to find it was a roll of Kodak Verichrome Pan, which was a very common black & white film that was often used in box cameras due to its film speed and forgiving latitude. Based on the design on the paper I’d put its production date sometime in the 60’s.
I developed the film with my usual Semi-Stand Rodinal 1:100 development process, in the hopes of coaxing something out of it. Cameras that sit around with old film in them usually get opened a few times by curious people not knowing any better, so the chances of anything being on the film were not great.
After I finished my developing process and pulled the film out of the tank, I saw that there were images! The film was very fogged due to its old age, but with a bright light behind it I could make out forms and shapes. I hung it up to dry, and then after that I cut and sleeved it, and placed it under my favorite heavy Magnum Photos book to flatten for a few days.
After a few days, I pulled out the film and looked at it on the light table. I could see that there were about 6 images on the roll, and then after that just a mess of over-exposed nothingness. I’d assume that was from people hitting the shutter button and messing around with it.
The first few images were probably not exposed properly, so it was a lot of work to get something out of the scans. It looks to me like someone came home with a newborn, and the prior owner of the camera was doing what we all do – taking several different images from different angles. This was a big moment and you would want to get the perfect image.
The next image was exposed better, and I was able to pull a lot more from it.
And then, this was the last image on the roll. Probably the sharpest and best exposed of the bunch.
Based on the pixie hairsyle, clothing, and the car in the background, I’d guess this was shot sometime in the mid to late 1960’s. I’m not sure if the woman holding the baby was the mom or a relative. Her look makes me feel like she was the proud mother. Given the date range of the image, I’d have to guess the baby is now nearly 60 years old. No one in the family ever saw these images.
I’m certain the good intentions were there to finish the roll and drop it off at the local camera shop, but that never happened. Did something happen to the original owner, or did the camera just get put in a bag and forgotten about? Cameras were a big expense back in the day, so I’d be surprised if it was something that simple. Who knows?
These images may or may not have been shot here in the greater Dayton, Ohio area. If these are your relatives, please feel free to reach out to me and I would be happy to share the negatives and/or higher res scans with you.
I may nor may not keep the Anscoflex. I think while I have it I’ll give it a good cleaning and tune-up, and then go out and shoot a few rolls with it. More to come.
Have you ever found some old film in a camera and had it developed? What did you find? Is there a camera you inherited from relatives languishing in a closet or on a shelf that still has some memories of the past in it?
Thanks for reading,
Jeremy
