Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/11/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 11:56 AM 11/7/2000 +0100, Hans Juergen Spross wrote: > >BTW (also OT), fotoimpex (www.fotoimpex.de) is selling two new ORWO films, >claiming that they are just the same as Ilford's FP4/HP5. Any comments? The Wolfen plant was the original AGFA plant and happened to fall into the Soviet Zone of Occupation and, hence, was nationalized by the DDR. When AGFA, which had re-established itself in the BDR, won the rights to their various trademarks (as did Zeiss and a number of other expropriated companies), the East Germans began marketing "ORiginal WOlfen" films and papers. Gorgeous stuff, as the East Germans comprehensively ignored all of those environmental laws which caused Kodak and AGFA and Ilford and their ilk to dramatically reduce the quantities of silver compounds in their products. (I have about a half a box of ORWO fibre Grade 3 Semi-Matte paper left in my freezer. How I shall cry when it is gone, he says melodramatically.) When the Germanies reunited (or, should that be the "Second German Unification"? Shades of 1871!), AGFA recovered the Wolfen plant. It seems to have taken the best part of a decade to clean up the mess the Heroes of Socialist Labor and the Advocates of Proletarian Solidarity left behind. I am glad that they are back in the film business now. Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!