Topic: A bit of photographic ephemera

[Pete_R]

I picked this up off ebabe for next to nothing. It's a copy of the Wellcome Photographic Exposure Guide - War Emergency Edition. I can't believe anyone actually used this.





To calculate an exposure, you have to look up a value for the film or plates being used...



...then look up a value for the light depending on the month, time of day and the weather...



...then dial the values into the calculator on the back page to get an exposure value...



...then you have to adjust it to suit different subjects, examples of which are given...



...by which time it's dark, your subject's disappeared and the war was probably over.

[LT]

love it - what a find.  What I dont understand is, how come they cant produce the "Wellcome Photographic Diary and Exposure Calculator" yet they can manufacture the "Wellcome Photographic Exposure Guide (War Edition)" which includes an exposure calculator? I also love the wartime spirit - the idea of amateur photographers "carrying on as best they may" snapping their snaps in the midst of the blitz is superb.

thanks for scanning and showing us Peter - brought a smile to my long face today

Leon

[Francois]

Nice find!
I've never seen anything quite like it... makes my old Gossen meter look like a Star Trek Tricorder

I still wonder what happened to the Sunny/16 rule...

[traskblueribbon]

no batteries required, just a familiar knowledge of the "exposure circle".

[Pete_R]

I still wonder what happened to the Sunny/16 rule...

Alive and doing well as far as I'm concerned. I use it when using my meter-less Contax RF.

[Sunny_16]

Use it all the time too, Hence the name        < ----------

Clare x

[Francois]

It's still alive 

But I still wonder why the authors of the booklet went through all this trouble...
Though modern standardized films are something somewhat recent we now take for granted (or else why would Ansel have included so much testing in his Zone system?)

Use it all the time too, Hence the name        < ----------

Clare x

And a lovely nick it is too 

[Pete_R]

But I still wonder why the authors of the booklet went through all this trouble...

I suspect it was as much a method of advertising as anything. The last but one page shows a list of available chemicals so I assume Wellcome supplied chemicals.

Though modern standardized films are something somewhat recent we now take for granted (or else why would Ansel have included so much testing in his Zone system?)

Speed systems have been around since 1890 when Hurter and Driffield introduced theirs. The ASA system was around when this guide was published so I don't understand why it wasn't used. Maybe it wasn't widely accepted and film manufacturers didn't publish speed ratings. I thought the Scheiner system was pretty well accepted in Europe though - it was introduced soon after the H&D system.

As to why Adams did so much testing, that's a different ball park. All the speed systems assume a standard method of processing and speed calculation which people like Adams didn't necessarily use. It's why it's still a good idea to come up with your own speed rating (or EI) if you process your own films.

[Francois]

I just usually settle for the "Kodak is right" method of rating my film 
Uncomplicated and reliable (to a certain degree).