COBBLER'S PAGE

Once upon a time, and it was a long time ago, a man had the notion of forming a club to bring together people with ideas on film processing At this time so long ago there was a good photographic magazine called The Amateur Photographer’. In time this was to become less good and to be known as ‘The Photographic Advertiser’. But long ago it published the man’s letter. The huge response the man got to his forming a club was to overwhelm him. He formed a club but fragmented it into zones with area leaders.

This was to cause problems soon and later. We are talking of people with ideas, enthusiasts keen to join, to pass ideas on and to put
into practice anything and everything. Of course the club was a success. How to process colour slide film was the aim. Ferrania
colour was leading the pack in providing good film and a good home processing hit to do the business with and even if it took one and
half hours it was easy. This was not good enough for the men with ideas. Experiments had to be done to find out how the kits were made, What chemical; made them tick? This made being a member interesting, frustrating, and sometimes satisfying. Interesting because by then there was a newsletter circulating, full of tried and tested formuli, (tested at least by its author). Frustrating because these formulas contradicted each other. Satisfying because they worked sometimes!

There were chemists in the club even they contradicted each other. But then there was a leak and the official formula covering the
processing of Ferraniacolour became available. Problem solved all were happy? Not so.

Some thought Kodak the best film on the market - Fuji was not known in those days—and so here was another process to crack. This was when the first crack appeared in the Club, now known as the Colour Reversal Club. A breakaway group was formed and became known as the White Rose Club. This caused problems but it lead to a lot more formulas.

Now it was all E3.4. Kodaks official formula was definitely NOT available but the men with ideas provided ones that worked for
some but were a disaster for others. It was all great expensive fun enjoyed by a large membership. But things changed. Ferrania
stopped making film, E6 became the only process after Agfa dropped their system.

By now the Club had a good library covering everything from How to make a PH meter, a chemical balance, a processing lab. and lots more. Along came a chemist who produced a formula based on the official Kodak kit. Using very fancy chemicals, which could now be obtained through the Club or via two very obliging suppliers. It took ages to make up the formula, thirty minutes to process the film. Results were very good most of the time but some still bad problems. Tobacco became a buzz word, this referred to the colour cast some got. Konica film sold by the Club at huge discount uses the same E6 process as all other films.

Most of the chemist have gone now from the club. Formuli for colour neg. and reversal process developed by members all work well. There seems to be no further point in developing new formula, indeed it may not be possible to continue with the tried and proved formulasthrough lack of chemical suppliers. Like the last Newsletter, Jan 200l half a page is devoted to E6 reversal exposure v chemical and half a page to C4l two-bath formula.

That is one page in total for a club that is called the Colour Reversal Club. Maybe that reflects the interests of the much smaller
memhership. The enthusiasts now are the DI people.

Maybe in another thirty years time someone will start a piece ‘Once Upon a Time’, and it was a long time ago, people did D1Y and along came men with DI which involved hours of frustration pressing keys and watching a screen. A nationwide club was formed so that people could share their frustration ....

In a fairy story everyone lives happily ever after. With the CRC we have enthusiastic leaders who run the club, providing film and
chemicals, and stock a library. How much longer will this go on if DI takes over from DIY?