Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/25

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Subject: [Leica] Re: HCB
From: George Huczek <ghuczek@sk.sympatico.ca>
Date: Fri, 25 Jun 1999 20:05:14 -0600

At 05:11 PM 25/06/99 -0700, Bill wrote:
>
>At one point the speaker dared to discuss the quality of HCB's
>negatives. He projected a photo of the negative of a Frenchman leaping
>over a broad pool of water. I was amazed to see a negative on film with
>perforations on only one side! The frame number 39 was visible but no
>manufacturer's info. Later, during the question period my friend asked
>about the odd film with one perf. Speaker said he had not noticed that
>and did not know anything about it. Here's one for the LUG. Was this
>some copy film or did there used to be single perf 35mm film? This is
>the best place I know to ask that question.
>

This came up when some on the LUG discussed HCB when a collection of his
work was published in American Photo.  It was in the Sept/Oct 1997 issue
which I have in front of me as I type this.  It shows the neg on the light
table, being held by George Fevre, HCBs printer, as photographed by John
Loengard.
   The photo is "Behind the Gare - St. Lazare, Paris" 
There is nothing unusual about the type of film ... it is standard 35mm
film which was damaged, and hence the top edge of the frame, including the
perforations, has been cut off.  Close examination will also reveal that
the top of the frame isn't exposed (he shot through a fence) and part of
the frame may have been obscured (I'm speculating that viewfinder parallax
error may be the culprit here).  It is also very evident that the film
development was uneven, as there is evidence of fogging near the sprocket
holes on the side of the frame that has the perforations.  I'm not sure who
developed this film, but HCB stated that he paid less attention to film
development than perhaps he should have.  So many flaws, so famous an image!