Kodak Panchromatic Nitrate film

[colyn]

Anybody remember this film??

I bought a Leica II this morning which came with several boxes of negatives. Many of them were Kodak Panchromatic Nitrate film..

 

[EmilGil]

Don't know anything about that particular film but I do know that nitrate films need to be treated with care as they can self ignite under certain circumstances. They are usually banned in common archives for that reason, they need to be cold stored.

My university photo club had a bunch of old nitrate films in the university archive when I was a member there. They were very quickly removed when discovered. IIRC they are now cold stored in the Swedish Film Industry archive instead...

 

[oftheherd]

That was my first thought when I saw this thread EmilGil. I have never seen nor handled any of this film, but have read about it many times and its flaming reputation. I understand many old movies were lost due to its ease in igniting. Not to mention some of the places it was stored. Wonder it has survived.

 

[colyn]

If I recall nitrate film was replaced in the early 50's with a newer safety film.

I counted 76 rolls of Kodak nitrate film and 13 rolls of Agfa Ultra-speed pan film and several rolls of an unidentifiable film. The only markings are frame numbers and sprocket holes 1 5/8 inches apart on one side only and appear to be very early 20th century.

Since all of the negatives appear to be before the early 40's I suspect all of the film is nitrate..

 

[Bryce]

As far as I know, if it is Kodak and very old and doesn't say 'safety film' on it, the base is nitrocellulose. AKA Cordite, or smokeless gunpowder.
I'll have to look again, but I think I've got some negatives around that say 'safety film' from much earlier than 1950- like mid '30's or so. Could be mistaken.
So when were Leica II's produced?

 

[colyn]

I'll have to look again, but I think I've got some negatives around that say 'safety film' from much earlier than 1950- like mid '30's or so. Could be mistaken.
So when were Leica II's produced?

Safety film was introduced in the 30's was made till the early 50's.

The Leica II was first produced in 1932.