Eastman Wash-Off Relief

1935

Subtractive 3 color: dye imbibition process, still photography

“In October 1935 Eastman Kodak Company introduced Eastman Wash-Off Relief. For years the company had been producing matrices and blank films for Technicolor motion pictures, and Kodak engineers were familiar with the requirement of the dye ...

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Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 140.

1 Image

Dymat Process

1973

|

(Dymat International Corp.)

Subtractive 3 color: Dye transfer, Super-8

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Fuji Dyecolor

ca. 1975

|

(Fuji Photo Film Company)

Subtractive 3 color: dye imbibition process, still photography

“Around 1975, Fuji Photo Film Company introduced Fuji Dyecolor, a dye imbibition printing service available only in Japan. A feature of the process was that the transfer of the dyes was done automatically in a special rotary machine developed ...

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Technicolor No. III

1927

|

(Technicolor)

Subtractive 2 color: Beam-splitter, dye transfer

The third Technicolor process used the same camera as process no. II to combine a pair of frames of the red and green record respectively on the b/w negative (see image). In contrast to the former process, however, the two images were printed on one side of the positive by the dye transfer or imbibition process.

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King of Jazz (USA 1930, John Murray Anderson). Credit: Library of Congress. Photographs of the Technicolor No. III dye-tranfer nitrate print from 1930 and 1931 by Olivia Kristina Stutz, ERC Advanced Grant FilmColors.
Credit: Images courtesy of the Margaret Herrick Library. Film: Corrine Griffith in The Garden of Eden. Photograph: Barbara Flueckiger.
Credit: George Eastman House Motion Picture Department Collection. Film: Buffalo Bill’s Last Fight (USA 1927, John W. Noble).
Technicolor ad in Photoplay, 1930. Source: Photoplay, 1930, see Media History Digital Library
Technicolor ad in Photoplay, 1930. Source: Photoplay, 1930, see Media History Digital Library
Photomicrograph, 10x. Credit: Silvana Konermann.
Photomicrograph, 20x. Credit: Silvana Konermann.
Doctor X (USA 1932, Michael Curtiz). Credit: UCLA Film & Television Archive. Photographs of the Technicolor No. III dye-tranfer nitrate print by Barbara Flueckiger.
Doctor X (USA 1932, Michael Curtiz). Credit: UCLA Film & Television Archive. Photographs of the Technicolor No. III dye-tranfer nitrate print by Barbara Flueckiger.

1298 Images in 38 Galleries

Technicolor No. IV: Three-strip

1932

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(Technicolor)

Subtractive 3 color: Color separation, beam-splitter, dye transfer

With the fourth Technicolor process the company dominated the market for color films from the mid-1930s to the 1950s. In a special camera, three b/w negative films were exposed through a beam-splitter that consisted of two prisms to form a cube. One ...

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Credit: Image courtesy of the Academy Film Archive. Film: Gone with the Wind (USA 1939, Victor Fleming). Photograph by Barbara Flueckiger.
Film: Samson and Delilah (US 1949, Cecil B. DeMille), trailer.
Photomicrograph, 50x. Credit: Norbert Wey, Institute of Pathology, University of Zurich.
Photomicrograph, 100x. Credit: Norbert Wey, Institute of Pathology, University of Zurich.

1881 Images in 65 Galleries

Technichrome

1948

|

(Technicolor)

Subtractive 2 color: Dye transfer, 2 color bi-pack, 3 color printing

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Technichrome, three-color print of bi-pack negatives, 1948. Credit: Gert Koshofer Collection. Sample No. 89. Photograph by Barbara Flueckiger

4 Images in 1 Gallery

Technicolor No. V: Dye transfer prints from chromogenic negative

1954

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(Technicolor)

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USA

Subtractive 3 color: Dye transfer

With the introduction of the chromogenic Eastmancolor negative/positive process it became possible to shoot with a normal one-strip camera. Three b/w color separations were produced from the Eastmancolor negative and printed by dye transfer on blank ...

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Written on the Wind (1956). Credit: Harvard Film Archive, item no. 3663. Photograph by Barbara Flueckiger.
Credit: Harvard Film Archive, item no. 1781. Film: Le Ballon rouge (1956). Photograph by Barbara Flueckiger.
Credit: Harvard Film Archive, item no. 1781. Film: Le Ballon rouge (1956). Photograph by Barbara Flueckiger.
Surface emulsion side, raking light (tungsten). Credit: Carsta Knaack, HTW Berlin. Film: Robin Hood, 1973.
Photomicrograph 16x, raking light. Credit: Carsta Knaack, HTW Berlin. Film: Robin Hood, 1973.
Photomicrograph, toplight on white background. Credit: Carsta Knaack, HTW Berlin. Film: Robin Hood, 1973.
Photomicrograph 6,4x, top light on white background: picture and perforation area with spots of dye, yellow edge. Credit: Carsta Knaack, HTW Berlin. Film: Ssssss (1973).
Photomicrograph 10x, top light on white background: picture and perforation area with spots of dye, yellow edge, yellow dye in frame line. Credit: Carsta Knaack, HTW Berlin. Film: Ssssss (1973).
Photomicrograph 16x, top light on white background: sound track and perforation area with spots of dye, yellow edge. Credit: Carsta Knaack, HTW Berlin. Film: Ssssss (1973).
Raking light: surface of picture and perforation area with small spots of dye, yellow edge. Credit: Carsta Knaack, HTW Berlin. Film: Ssssss (1973).
Surface emulsion side, raking light (tungsten). Credit: Carsta Knaack, HTW Berlin. Film: Robin Hood, 1973.
Vertigo (USA 1958, Alfred Hitchcock). Credit: Harvard Film Archive, item no. 246. HDR photograph by Barbara Flueckiger.

2261 Images in 41 Galleries

Chromolithography

1898

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(Technique adapted from print media and laterna magica)

Applied colors: printing

Widely used in print media around 1900, the chromolithographic printing process was first adapted for the Laterna Magica and then utilized to produce early animated films primarily aimed at children. These films were usually very short ...

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[U-Boot]. Credit: Deutsches Filminstitut DIF. Photograph of the chromolithographic nitrate print by Barbara Flueckiger.
Box Der Film fürs Heimkino. Credit: Deutsches Filminstitut DIF. iPhone photo by Barbara Flueckiger.
Box "Film for Home Cinema". Credit: Deutsches Filminstitut DIF. iPhone photo by Barbara Flueckiger.
Box "Attention! Celluloid Film". Credit: Deutsches Filminstitut DIF. iPhone photo by Barbara Flueckiger.
Boxes and loops. Credit: Deutsches Filminstitut DIF. iPhone photo by Barbara Flueckiger.
Box and loops. Credit: Deutsches Filminstitut DIF. iPhone photo by Barbara Flueckiger.
Film can for Chromolithographic Loop. Credit: Deutsches Filminstitut DIF. iPhone photo by Noemi Daugaard, SNSF Filmcolors
Film can for Chromolithographic Loop. Credit: Deutsches Filminstitut DIF. iPhone photo by Noemi Daugaard, SNSF Filmcolors

119 Images in 3 Galleries

Traube / Uvachrome

1922

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Arthur Traube (Uvachrom)

Subtractive 3 color: Mordanting, dye transfer, wash-off relief, still photography

“In the imbibition process, a dye image is transferred from a gelatin relief image to a receiving layer made either of paper or film. Charles Cros described this method of ‘hydrotypie’ transfer printing in 1880 and suggested it ...

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Source: Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 103.
Source: Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 277.
Source: Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 138.

3 Images

Autotype Wet Carbon

1944

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Autotype Company

Subtractive 3 color: pigment process, still photography

“Introduced by the Autotype Company in 1944, the Autotype Wet Carbon Process was a variant of the traditional carbon process with novelty wet-printing pigment papers. Considerable time was saved when printing with this material as the pigment ...

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ArchivalColor

1982

|

Charles Berger, McGraw Colorgraph

Subtractive 4 color: pigment process, still photography

“In the early 1980s photographers frustrated by the poor stability of dye coupling materials started to experiment with pigment processes. Among them was Charles Berger, a California-based fine art photographer who, in 1982, developed a modern ...

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Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 93.
Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 94.

2 Images

Hydrotypie / Hydrotype

1880

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Charles Cros

Subtractive 3 color: Dye transfer, still photography

“In the imbibition process, a dye image is transferred from a gelatin relief image to a receiving layer made either of paper or film. Charles Cros described this method of ‘hydrotypie’ transfer printing in 1880 and suggested it ...

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Colorsnap, Colorol

1929

|

Colour Snapshots Ltd.

Subtractive 3 color: dye imbibition process, still photography

“In 1929 the London firm Colour Snapshots Limited introduced Colorsnap, a printing service based on the dye imbibition process for a tripack roll film called Colorsnap and manufactured by Ilford Ltd. (Monopolies Commission 1966).11 The tripack ...

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Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 137.

1 Image

Defender Pan-Chroma-Relief

1942

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Defender Photo Supply Company

Subtractive 3 color: dye imbibition process, still photography

“In 1942 Defender Photo Supply Company of Rochester, New York, introduced a panchromatic matrix film called Pan-Chroma-Relief Film, which simplified the making of dye imbibition prints from original Kodachrome or Ansco Color transparencies.20 ...

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Dufaytissue

1941

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Dufay-Chromex Limited of London

Subtractive 3 color: pigment process, still photography

“Dufaytissue materials, marketed by Dufay-Chromex Limited of London between 1941 and 1948, resembled Belcolor and were used to produce color prints by contact. After they had been sensitized and dried, the pigment films were exposed by contact ...

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Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 89.

1 Image

Dye Imbibition Process

1875

|

Ernest Edwards

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Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson.

1 Image

Chromatone

1935

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Francis H. Snyder, Henry W. Rimbach, Defender Photo Supply Company

Subtractive 3 color: silver toning, still photography

“Chromatone was the first commercially viable process of color print making entirely based on silver toning. It was developed in the early 1930s by the New Yorkers Francis H. Snyder and Henry W. Rimbach, who patented the toning methods and ...

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Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 282.
Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 283.

2 Images

Hicrography / Hicrome

1915

|

Frederic Eugene Ives

Subtractive 3 color: dye imbibition process, still photography

“In 1915 the company launched a hybrid dye imbibition color printing system called Hicrography.9 From the separation negatives, positive impressions were made through the base on the presensitized dichromated film (Hicro Film), which also ...

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Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 134.

1 Image

Jos-Pé

1924

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G. Koppmann

Subtractive 3 color: dye imbibition process, still photography

“Invented by G. Koppmann and introduced in Hamburg in 1924 by the German financier Josef-Peter Welker, from whom the product took its name (Wall and Jordan 1940: 330), Jos-Pé was a complete color system that included a one-exposure camera, ...

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Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 135.

1 Image

Belcolor

ca. 1935

|

George Murphy

Subtractive 3 color: pigment process, still photography

“Introduced in the mid-1930s by George Murphy, Inc., of New York City, Belcolor was considered one of the simplest ways to obtain color transparencies, as it required no special equipment or expert technique and could be used successfully ...

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Autotype Trichrome Carbro

1921

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H. F. Farmer, Autotype Company

Subtractive 3 color: pigment process, still photography

“As in previous versions of the process, pigment papers were soaked in a sensitizing bath and then squeegeed firmly onto the surface of wet bromide prints to harden the pigmented gelatin in proportion to the amount of silver contained in the ...

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Source: Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 103.

1 Image

Carbro-Chromatone

1937

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Harlan L. Baumbach

Subtractive 3 color: pigment process, still photography

“References to Carbro-Chromatone prints are sometimes found in the literature on early color photography. These prints were made using a combination of the two processes they were named after. The method was described by Harlan L. Baumbach in ...

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Crawford Flexichrome 1940–1942, after 1949 Kodak Flexichrome

1940

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Jack Crawford, Crawford Flexichrome Company; Eastman Kodak Company.

Subtractive 3 color: hybrid dye imbibition process, still photography

“In the 1940s a product called Crawford Flexichrome appeared on the market. It allowed photographers to obtain prints or transparencies in full color by simply applying dyes of various colors by hand to a gelatin relief image.16 Results ...

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Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 145.

1 Image

Duxochrome / Colorstil / Duxocolor

1929

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Johannes Herzog Company

Subtractive 3 color: pigment process, still photography

“Duxochrome, introduced around 1930 by the Johannes Herzog Company of Bremen, Germany, combined the colored gelatin layers of pigment processes with the tanning development procedure of dye imbibition. Exposures from three separation negatives ...

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Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 106.

1 Image

Pinatype / Pinatypie

1903

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Léon Didier (Meister Lucius & Brüning)

Subtractive 3 color: Dye transfer, still photography

“In the imbibition process, a dye image is transferred from a gelatin relief image to a receiving layer made either of paper or film. Charles Cros described this method of “hydrotypie” transfer printing in 1880 and suggested it ...

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Cyan and magenta combined, third layer, yellow missing. Source: Meister Lucius & Brüning (1905): Pinatypie. Positiv-Verfahren für die Dreifarbenphotographie. Höchst am Main.
Source: Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 235.
Source: Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 235.
Source: Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 132.

4 Images

Kwik-Print

1977

|

Light Impressions Corporation

Subtractive 3 color: pigment process, still photography

“In 1977 Light Impressions Corporation of Rochester, New York, introduced Kwik-Print, a contact speed color printing material. This was a modification of the Kwik-Proof graphic arts proofing system made by Direct Reproductions Corporation of ...

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Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 110.

1 Image

Condax-Dytrol

ca. 1940

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Louis M. Condax, Condax-Speck, Inc., New York, Robert P. Speck

Subtractive 3 color: dye imbibition process, still photography

“Around 1940, Condax-Speck, Inc., of New York started to market dyes and mordant for the Condax-Dytrol system of dye imbibition printing (Fig. 4.19). The system, developed by company owners Louis M. Condax (1897–1971) and Robert P. Speck, ...

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Kodak Dye Transfer

1946

|

Louis M. Condax, Eastman Kodak Company

Subtractive 3 color: dye imbibition process, still photography

“Kodak Dye Transfer materials were introduced by Eastman Kodak Company in February 1946 and replaced Eastman Wash-Off Relief. Principal improvements over the previous material included a simplified registration procedure, more rapidly ...

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Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 148.

1 Image

Handschiegl / DeMille-Wyckoff / Wyckoff Process

1916

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Max Handschiegl and Alvin Wyckoff

Applied color: Imbibition

Similar to stenciling, the Handschiegl process was applied mechanically to manually defined image parts. Therefore it is an applied color process. After the film was shot and edited, for each color applied a separate print was made. In contrast to ...

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Black-and-white with Handschiegl in Lights of Old Broadway (USA 1925, Monta Bell). Credit: Library of Congress. Photograph of the nitrate print by Barbara Flueckiger.
Credit: Geo. Willeman, Nitrate Film Vault Manager, Library of Congress. Film: Trail of '98 (USA 1929, Clarence Brown).
Credit: Geo. Willeman, Nitrate Film Vault Manager, Library of Congress. Film: Trail of '98 (USA 1929, Clarence Brown).
Credit: Paolo Cherchi Usai. Source: Cherchi Usai, Paolo (2000): Silent Cinema. London: BFI. Film: Greed (USA 1925, Erich von Stroheim).
Credit: Geo. Willeman, Nitrate Film Vault Manager, Library of Congress. Film: Forbidden Fruit (USA 1921, Cecil B. DeMille).
Credit: Geo. Willeman, Nitrate Film Vault Manager, Library of Congress. Film: Forbidden Fruit (USA 1921, Cecil B. DeMille).
Source: Ryan, Roderick T. (1977): A History of Motion Picture Color Technology. London: Focal Press, p. 24.
Credit: Geo. Willeman, Nitrate Film Vault Manager, Library of Congress. Film: Trail of '98 (USA 1929, Clarence Brown).

141 Images in 8 Galleries

Autotype Dyebro

ca. 1929

|

Owen Wheeler, Autotype Company

Subtractive 3 color: dye imbibition process, still photography

“Autotype Dyebro Introduced around the same time as Colorsnap and Uvatype, Autotype Dyebro combined the three-color carbro and dye imbibition processes. The method was invented by Owen Wheeler (1859–1932) and commercialized by the Autotype ...

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