Incredible ‘Lost’ Photos Recovered From a 90-Year Old Film Roll

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A black-and-white image on the left shows a person wearing shorts and a long-sleeved shirt. On the right, vintage camera equipment includes a box camera, leather case, film rolls, and a hand holding a small film canister.

Austrian photographer Markus Hofstaetter developed photos from a 90-year-old roll of film with fascinating results.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? According to Hofstaetter, not a chance. Earlier this year, Hofstaetter published an interesting video documenting his process of developing the film that came with a 113-year-old stereo camera. Now, he’s back at it again — this time with a roll of Agfa Isopan Super Special 127 film (ASA 100), a stock produced 90 years ago.

His process, which he writes about on his blog, starts with the stand development method. That involves using a small portion of developer fluid and dissolving it in a larger quantity of water at a ratio of 1:119. According to Hofstaetter, this method works differently than typical film development.

“You just put everything together,” he writes, “and after one round of motion, the film just stands for one hour in the development tank.”

A grainy, black-and-white photograph of a person standing in front of dense foliage. The person is wearing a light-colored shirt, a dark jacket, and shorts. They are holding one arm out slightly to the side. The image has a vintage feel.

The moment Hofstaetter pulls the developed film out of the tank is exciting to watch. The film was shot on a Zeiss Ikon Baby Box Tengor, a camera released in the 1930’s. It produces 4 x 6.5-centimeter negatives. While very faint, you can see some remnants of the original exposures still present on the film.

A black and white photo of three people standing outdoors. They are in front of a stone wall and surrounded by dense foliage, possibly trees and bushes. The image has a grainy, vintage appearance.

Hofstaetter then scans the images and loads them images onto his computer. He uses a mix of software, including Lightroom, Photoshop, and Negative Light Pro. His video speeds through his retouching, and Hofstaetter admits he’s “not a pro.” Still, he yields some incredible results. The final images are pretty grainy, but Hofstaetter brought out enough detail in the pictures to see people standing and waving.

A grainy, black and white image with a silhouetted figure standing outside. The background is blurred, with indistinct trees and sky. The overall effect is atmospheric and abstract.

It speaks to the beauty of film photography, especially in today’s digital world, that simple moments like the ones in these photos can be preserved like this. Even with a 90-year-old film, Hofstaetter was able to develop these ‘lost’ moments in time, which should make for a lovely holiday surprise. Hofstaetter is sending the developed images back to the owner of the camera.

Fans of unusual and fun photography projects can follow Markus Hofstaetter on his blog and YouTube channel.

Image credits: Photographs by Markus Hofstaetter

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