Thursday, February 2, 2017

MORE GOOD NEWS FOR FILM PHOTOGRAPHERS




ferraniaP30alpha

The incredibly fast change to digital photography in the last few years has regularly been accompanied by predictions of the demise of film.  But nothing could be further from the truth.  Film has survived and has even experienced a renaissance.  Film is growing. 

Just a few weeks ago Kodak announced that Ektachrome film will return and there even have been rumors of a possible return of Kodachrome, as unlikely as that might be.  Now the Italian firm of Ferrania has announced that they are reentering the film market with their new Ferrania P30, a black and white film.

Photo by Nicola Baldini (this image from the first handmade roll produced by the factory)
Photo by Nikola Baldini (this image is from the first handmade roll produced by the factory)

Initially it will be introduced in a limited “ALPHA” edition.  It is a recreation of a film from 50 years ago, not unlike the new ADOX films, but it is made using thoroughly modern production methods.

According to Ferrania, “With its cinema pedigree, ultrafine grain, and very high silver content, FERRANIA P30 ALPHA has no peers in the modern analog film market.”

FERRANIA P30® ALPHA is an 80 ISO panchromatic black & white motion picture film for still photography, and reintroduces the legendary P30 film produced by Ferrania during the 1960s. FERRANIA P30® ALPHA is coated on triacetate base and features an incredibly high silver content of 5 grams per square meter.

Photo by Nicola Baldini
Photo by Nicola Baldini

Ferrania is an older company.  They first began to make films in 1917.  Based on their success, they eventually became known as the “Kodak of Italy.”  In 1964 Ferrania was bought out by 3M, headquartered in Minneapolis/St.Paul.  Under their leadership, Ferrania became the world’s 4th largest film manufacturer.  However, after the meteoric rise of digital photography, Ferrania decided to leave the film market in 2009.  FILM Ferrania was established in 2013 by co-founders Nicola Baldini and Marco Pagni.

Here is the Ferrania press release:

Cairo Montenotte (SV), Italy – FILM Ferrania is proud to announce its first product, FERRANIA P30®, in a limited ALPHA edition.

FERRANIA P30® ALPHA reproduces, with modern techniques developed by FILM Ferrania scientists, the exact film that made Ferrania world-famous more than 50 years ago.

With its cinema pedigree, ultra fine grain, and very high silver content, FERRANIA P30® ALPHA has no peers in the modern analog film market.

Pre-sales of FERRANIA P30® ALPHA in 35mm still format, with 36 exposures, will begin mid-February 2017 at www.filmferrania.it/shop.


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Wednesday, February 1, 2017

THE CHILDREN OF OSKAR BARNACK, INVENTOR OF THE LEICA




Every once in a while we are surprised by some unexpected news regarding Leica and its history.  Most Leica aficionados are familiar with Oskar Barnack.  After all, he is the father of the Leica and 35mm photography as we know it.  Few, however, are aware that there are two other Barnacks with a connection to the Leica, Oskar Barnack’s children Conrad and Hana.

LEICA Barnack Berek Blog reader Chris Dorley-Brown from London, UK, sent me the following email:

Dear Heinz,

I have been looking at the Blog and wondered if you would be interested in this picture taken by my father in 1947, the man on the left is Conrad Barnack, son of Oskar.
My dad met Conrad as a British Army POW in WW2. Conrad was a prison orderly and taught my dad to speak German. They remained friends and after the war got together frequently. He gave dad a Leica and he shot one roll of Kodachrome but preferred his Rolleiflex so he gave it back to Conrad!  I still have that roll of Kodachrome
which is in great condition after nearly 70 years. I am a photographer myself and always feel a connection with this part of the medium’s history, which I thought I would share with you.

best wishes

Chris Dorley-Brown
London

 
Conrad Barnack (left) with friends

That made me think of the fact that I had never seen a picture of Conrad Barnack, and I decided to look a bit further into this.  An internet search revealed a few more things.  Oscar Barnack had two children, Johanna, born in 1906, and Conrad, born in 1908.  Searching further I found one more photograph, published by liveauctioneers.  It shows Conrad Barnack together with his sister Johanna.  They commented the following about this picture:

 
Conrad and Johanna Barnack
Photo Used with permission of liveauctioneers

Barnack was particularly fond of Hanna’s blond locks; many photographs show her alone, several together with Conrad. There are only a few images of Conrad alone. A comparison with later pictures of the two indicates that these were taken in the summer of 1914. Conrad had started going to school, which is when boys began to wear sailor shirts. The gaze of the shy child is already mixed by the saucy expression of a future rascal. The children knew to keep still when their father was taking a photograph – this was true of the Ur-Leica too, as the film was not very sensitive. This is apparent from the shadows, which are not very differentiated. This is a very early image taken with the Ur-Leica.


Unfortunately their site does not show any other pictures of Barnack’s children at all, and neither do any other.  But through the efforts of Chris Dorley-Brown and liveauctioneers  who gave us permission to use these pictures of Conrad and Johanna, we are able to learn a little bit more about his descendants.


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