Kodachrome Ends 74-Year Run. By Ernst Haas Eastman Kodak
announced this morning that it will cease the manufacture of
Kodachrome this year. Celebrated in song (literally!) and story,
Kodachrome is the oldest film in production and the longest-
lived film product in the entire history of photography.
Developed by Leopold Godowsky and Leopold Mannes (known as “God
and Man” within Kodak) in 1935, Kodachrome had exceptionally low
contrast (a good thing in a transparency film) and an inimitably
rich, beautiful color palette. For decades it was by far the
best color material extant. Among other things, for many years
around mid-century it relegated families to long sessions in
darkened rooms with a slide projector and a screen, the best way
people had of showing each other their vacation and birthday
party pictures. Many leading photographers even today, including
Sam Abell, William Albert Allard, and Steve McCurry, did much of
their important early work on Kodachrome. However, it is
inherently slow and very difficu