Brilliant vintage Hollywood 8 x 10 Kodachromes sell on ebay...

<p>I was blown away by this guy's collection of 8" x 10" Kodachrome originals of the likes of Ginger Rogers, Veronica Lake, Ingrid Bergman and Ruth Hussey to name a few. They went anywhere from $12.50 to $1,247, most over $300. I won one of the more technically perfect and pricey ones and can't wait to get it!<br>

.....an 8 x 10 Kodachrome...I can't believe it...:-)<br>

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=300528342972&si=p%252FVI%252BptGSziVmpsXZhpcoEln1f0%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT#ht_1077wt_883</p>

<p>http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=300528339236&si=p%252FVI%252BptGSziVmpsXZhpcoEln1f0%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT#ht_863wt_883</p>

<p>http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=300528342218&si=p%252FVI%252BptGSziVmpsXZhpcoEln1f0%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT#ht_1143wt_1141</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Amazing!</p>

<p>Thank you, Daniel! I love wartime stuff, particularly anything photographic.</p>

<p>Beautiful. Just lighting it and photographing it properly for the Ebay page would seem to be a trick.</p>

<p>I confess, I got Ruth, seller says it is flawless, I can't wait to get it!!!!</p><div></div>

<p>Gorgeous images! This is the classic three light setup that is taught in all portrait classes. At least it was taught in the fall of 1997 when I was in the Commerical Photo program at Seattle Central Community College. A 2:1 ratio and a third light for the hair. All are hot lights, no strobes. We shot black and white with 4x5 cameras. Wonderful experience.</p>

These are the orphaned and colorful testaments from a once all too familiar century, now

amazingly far more distant in time than it seemed only in yesturday. Sadly I fear time is

running out for a great number of these colorful treasures, many which remain lost and

forgotten in the many attic spaces throughout; where decades of unfavorable climate

and temperatures are litterally rendering them into nothing more than a pile of acidic

ashes. I see it far more than I would like, and it's a race against time. Thankfully, these

fine specimens are now in the hands of a passionate keeper who will help sustain them

in the years forward.

<p>Wow. Just, wow.</p>

<p>So beautiful, I wish I could do that kind and quality of portraits.</p>

8x10 Kodachrome was not an unusual thing. I suspect that it wasn't very expensive at the time. The famous calendar photo of a nude Marilyn Monroe on red velvet was done on 8x10 Kodachrome. Tom Kelly Sr. only took the photo so he would have an excuse to give Ms Monroe some money which he knew she needed. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the story but here it is again anyway:

 

http://www.marilynfineart.com/storyv2.html

<p>Daniel,</p>

<p>Thanks for posting this. They are wonderful.</p>

<p>I found some pricing for Kodachrome from a 1941 Fotoshop catalog. The price includes development.</p><div></div>

<p>Well, in 1941 18 exposures of 135 Kodachrome were $2.68. It would take at least 2 rolls to be as much film as one 8x10, plus being hand-processed the 8x10 must have cost more. Lets assume $7 a sheet. That's over $80 corrected for inflation today. <br>

(That 18 exposure roll of Kodachrome is almost $39 corrected for inflation. Kodachrome was for the rich then.)<br>

Of course, in 1945 you had to "know someone" to get some Kodachrome...</p>

 

<p>Marc, I noticed something interesting about that price list. 36 exposures cost $5 but 18 - exactly half - cost $2.50 - exactly half. This is odd considering that you always get a cheaper price for larger quantities (in this case, exposures). I'm surprised that the 18exp. roll wasn't something like $2.85.</p>

<p>John, I've got some wartime ads I will have to scan and link to. One in particular - if I can find it - talks about how the product will be available soon, as the war had just ended. :-)</p>

<p>John,<br>

if you look further down the page, you can see that Kodachrome sheet films are listed, so you don't have to guess at the price. 8x10 was $18.00 for 6 sheets, which divides out to $3 a sheet. Based on official inflation rates, $3 in 1941 is $44.94 today.<br>

For comparison, Badger Graphic is selling E100G in 8x10 for $97.95 per 10-sheet pack, or $9.80 a sheet. Add to that $5.00 per sheet processing (from Samy's), and you end up with $14.80/sheet. So, adjusted for inflation, 8x10 Kodachrome was 3x more expensive than 8x10 today.</p>

That price list shows 6 sheets of 8x10 Kodachrome for $18 or $3 per sheet, or about $45 per sheet adjusted for inflation. It sounds as if Mr. Kelly used one box (about $270) in order to give Ms Monroe $50. Nice guy.

<p>Yeah, though it worked out OK for him, too. 8^D</p>

<p>Got it today, wow, what a beautiful piece of history...</p><div></div>

<p>Contemporaneous article by the photographer, Whitey Schafer: <a>*click*</a>.</p>

<p>*swoon*</p>