[Leica] Kodachrome apocrypha

[lrzeitlin at gmail.com (Lawrence Zeitlin)]

It was my impression that the color balance of Kodachrome was deliberately
altered to achieve a "pleasing" color balance. A professor of mine during
the '50s claimed that he helped design a Kodak study where users of color
film were asked to rank snapshots in order of preference. True color photos
were almost always rejected in favor of those that made complexions look
"healthy", i.e. redder and slightly sunburned. Scenics were preferred which
gave the impression of a bright sunlit day. Hence the slightly magenta cast
of Kodachrome images. Does anyone know the facts of the case? Is it just a
Rochester urban rumor?
Larry Z