WWI Autochrome photos

[brians]

I don't know if this is old news or not, but I thought it was pretty neat.

http://www.poiemadesign.com/wwi/

Some have disputed that these were originally b/w images colorized using a digital process, but some have argued that these in fact are genuine color images using an older, costlier method called "Autocrome Lumiere."

What do you think?

 

[RML]

I know next to nothing about (the history of) colour film but IIRC the Lumiere method was not as good as these shots seem to be. I could, of course, be completely off track here. 🙂

Whatever they are, they're great photos of a time none of here remembers first (or even second) hand and show a much different view than we usually see in the history books (mud and shell craters, anyone?).

 

[sf]

cool!

cool!

Those are great shots. I have never seen color photos from WW1. Thanks for sharing, it adds another angle to the visual experience all those textbooks in school could only present in B&W.

 

[Azinko]

I'm pretty sure these are genuine....

Arguably the best use of 'Autochrome' was by the anglo Irish playright George Bernard Shaw...his Autochromes taken mostly in 1908 are a wonderful glimpse of pre WWI England. He used a 'whole plate' size camera, about 8 1/2 "X6 1/2", and the colours are beautifully subtle.

Most of the WWI archive is on plates and film which were rarely smaller than '1/4 plate' size so the image quality is often excellent allowing big enlargement so that sometimes individual soldiers faces can be identified along with other important historical detail. In the case of the French Army autochromes the large size helps the colour subtlety.

 

[lubitel]

I once read an article in a magazine (forgot which one) about a russian fotographer who was using a new color technique which he learned in germany. He made a lot of color photos of Russian lifestyle around 1900-1910!!! I was blown away, I never thought color photography was so old. The process was extremely expensive (in comparison something like 1 photo cost as much as 100 breads at the time), and required exposures of about 3 seconds. If i find a name of Photographer I'll post it here.

 

[RML]

I once read an article in a magazine (forgot which one) about a russian fotographer who was using a new color technique which he learned in germany. He made a lot of color photos of Russian lifestyle around 1900-1910!!! I was blown away, I never thought color photography was so old. The process was extremely expensive (in comparison something like 1 photo cost as much as 100 breads at the time), and required exposures of about 3 seconds. If i find a name of Photographer I'll post it here.

Would be nice if you could find some internet resource as well!

BTW, dutch photographer Bernard Eilers also invented a colour photography process which is quite interesting. I'll dig up an URL....

 

[RML]

Would be nice if you could find some internet resource as well!

BTW, dutch photographer Bernard Eilers also invented a colour photography process which is quite interesting. I'll dig up an URL....

Or 3....

On Eilers:
http://gemeentearchief.amsterdam.nl/schatkamer/bernard_eilers/over_bernard_eilers/index.nl.html#2FJx

His colur photos:
http://gemeentearchief.amsterdam.nl/archieven/beeldbank/

The Foto-chroma eilers process:
http://gemeentearchief.amsterdam.nl/schatkamer/bernard_eilers/kleurentovenaar/index.nl.html

 

[lubitel]

Found it! His name was Prokudin-Gorskii

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/empire/gorskii.html

 

[lubitel]

these are great

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/empire/ethnic.html

more links
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/empire/

 

[dexdog]

I agree, the portraits are great. Thanks for the link.

 

[brians]

Wow, these are great! Thanks!

 

[ch1]

My, oh my...the things can do on the web.

How would you really authenticate any of these photos or stories?

This is too ripe for hoaxland.

Oh, and BTW, weren't developers already active adding color to their plates and slides well before 1900?

Seems to me that here is a prime reason why original negatives and prints must be physically protected in secure museum environments in order to ensure chronological integrity.

 

[RML]

My, oh my...the things can do on the web.

How would you really authenticate any of these photos or stories?

This is too ripe for hoaxland.

On what information do you base that this is possibly a hoax?
I'm willing to listen to _founded_ facts and listen to your explanations and thoughts on why it would be a hoax. But just floating off an idea and calling it a hoax without proper arguments seems a bit rash.

 

[ddutchison]

How would you really authenticate any of these photos or stories?
This is too ripe for hoaxland.

That's kind of like asking how one would authenticate Kodachrome photos and stories.

I know it came as a shock to me to learn that colour plates were available, and well known, to photographers at the turn of the last century. However Autochrome plates were popular and widely available up until the 1930's. Jacques-Henri Lartigue quite liked them and made many colour photographs throughout the 'teens and twenties. Autochrome is no more of a hoax than Kodachrome, it's just not as well known.

 

[Sadimmock]

May I suggest a visit to the following page for more information on the Autochrome process (from Ilford of all people):

http://www.ilford.com/html/us_english/autochrome_100.html


and there are some great examples on:
http://www.ilford.com/html/us_english/autochrome.html

Regards
Simon

 

[lubitel]

The process of the russian photographer is well documented on the link provided. As explained the he made 3 exposures with Red Green and Blue filters on black and white, then presented them as slides through a projector. Pretty fascinating. They werent meant to be printed.

 

[dexdog]

Given the culture and reputation of the Library of Congress, I beleive that it is highly unlikely that they would post any images that could not be authenticated. After all, they have an outstanding reputation, and are very interested in protecting it.

dexdog