in this old 1954 advertisement Kodak extolls the virtues of its line of wratten filters
Toronto. In the days of film – especially orthochromatic B&W, filters on camera were used to improve contrast in a scene. After panchromatic film became the norm, the filters could be used to create negatives and photographs that were closer to the natural range of brightness as seen by the human eye/brain.
Kodak marketed its wratten filters and explained in detailed ads how every effort was taken to make them high quality. Many high end camera makers sold filters branded by them to fit their expensive lenses while companies like Ednalite offered a cheap alternative for the economy minded.
This elaborate emphasis on filters seems to have ended with polarizing filters that could be carefully rotated to eliminate glare spots and vary the degree of contrast offered. Various aids helped the photographer ‘see’ the effect of the filter from flipping them up 180 degrees (to view the effect through a viewfinder) to using a reference post so the eye could see the change before the filter was added to the lens and rotated.
Nowadays with digital cameras and smartphones allowing so many post exposure adjustments using apps and computer software, filter use has slowly faded into history. George Dunbar has earned a big thank you here for once again spotting an historic advertisement and sharing it with us.
