Invented 140 years ago in 1880s Zurich, Photochrom, a.k.a. Fotochrom, Photochrome or Aäc process, is an old school process for colourizing black-and-white negatives via the direct photographic transfer of a negative onto lithographic printing plates. The process is a photographic variant of chromolithography (color lithography).
Imaginatively selecting & mechanically colouring a black & white photo rather than doing it by hand.
The printer G. Hagen of Hammerfest (they’re stiil there in Hammerfest today) did a fine job. In Spisbergen’s lonely near-arctic landscape, Photochrom finds subject matter that benefits from its faded, pleasantly off-kilter imaginary colour grading.
From the archives of Norway’s Nasjonalbiblioteket archives & Library of Congress.
Unknown photographer. Photochrom process photograph printed by G. Hagen od Hammerfest, Norway.
Photochrom process photograph by G. Hagen od Hammerfest, Norway.
Unknown photographer. Photochrom process photograph printed by G. Hagen od Hammerfest, Norway.
Photochrom process photograph by G. Hagen od Hammerfest, Norway.
Unknown photographer. Photochrom process photograph printed by G. Hagen od Hammerfest, Norway.
Photochrom process photograph by G. Hagen od Hammerfest, Norway.
Unknown photographer. Photochrom process photograph printed by G. Hagen od Hammerfest, Norway.
Unknown photographer. Photochrom process photograph printed by G. Hagen od Hammerfest, Norway.
Unknown photographer. Photochrom process photograph printed by G. Hagen od Hammerfest, Norway.
Unknown photographer. Photochrom process photograph printed by G. Hagen od Hammerfest, Norway.
Unknown photographer. Photochrom process photograph printed by G. Hagen od Hammerfest, Norway..
Unknown photographer. Photochrom process photograph printed by G. Hagen od Hammerfest, Norway..
Unknown photographer. Photochrom process photograph printed by G. Hagen od Hammerfest, Norway.