Vivex
Description
“Vivex prints were introduced by Color Photographs Limited of London in 1928. One of the most important features of this printing method, invented by Douglas Arthur Spencer (1902–1980), was the introduction in 1929 of cellophane, instead of celluloid, as a temporary support for the pigment relief images.27 The material provided flexibility during registration of the colored sheets because it could be stretched. To achieve consistent results at a reduced price, printing operations were highly standardized and mechanized. Tight control was exercised on sensitization of the tissues, times of exposure and development, light-intensity consistency, temperature of solutions and workrooms, and atmospheric moisture. Sets of separation negatives provided by customers were printed by the company, and delivery of finished prints took at least five days. According to Jack Coote (1993: 78), 90% of the color prints produced in the United Kingdom before World War II were Vivex prints (Fig. 3.22). Color Photographs Limited closed in September 1939 at the onset of war, when most of its staff went into the armed forces; the company was dissolved in 1947.”
(Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, on p. 104.)
-
![]()
Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, p. 105.
Secondary Sources
Pénichon, Sylvie (2013): Twentieth Century Colour Photographs. The Complete Guide to Processes, Identification & Preservation. London, Los Angeles: Thames & Hudson, on p. 104. View Quote
