Photo Collection: R.J. Nemzek
Various photos of Strasbourg, France and Ammersee, Germany.
Notes from R.J. Nemzek:- Origin of the film: The two rolls of film were obtained as part of a box of miscellaneous items purchased at an auction in western Minnesota or eastern North Dakota in the mid-late 1990s. The box also contained a German-manufactured self-timer attachment. Any other items in the box or any identification of the photographer were separated from the film and self-timer before those items were given to me.
- Condition of the film: Both rolls of film are 35mm Agfa Isopan-F, nominally 36 exposures. Both rolls actually have ~38-39 exposures and are uncut. One roll is torn at the end. Other damages to the films include what looks like a pre-development light leak, some evidence of inexpert development, some scratches, and some adhesive residue (still sticky) mostly on the non-emulsion side.
- Digitizing: The rolls were rephotographed using a macro lens at 20MP resolution, then converted to positive images, straightened and cropped. With the exception of a couple of labeled zoomed-in images, everything is presented at or very near full-frame, downsampled to 1080x1620 pixels.
- "Strasbourg" Roll:" This roll was taken on a troop train. I haven't found anything to help determine the date of the film. It starts in Strasbourg, identified by two frames of the Strasbourg-Koenigshoffen station. The very first frame shows what may be the Strasbourg cathedral in the distance. The rest of the film shows scenes on and around the train during a passage to... somewhere. I haven't been able to determine where the train went; I left lots of context pictures to facilitate that task. Several pictures that were either too damaged, of poor technical quality, repetitive, or uninteresting have been left out of the collection.
- "Ammersee" Roll:" This appears to be the record of an overnight sightseeing trip in the Ammersee area, as identified by the ship "Robert E. Lee" and a sign reading "Weilheim 17 km." Again, there's no obvious way to determine the date of the film. Two GIs are shown; the one wearing a helmet may be the photographer. (This possibility is based on what appears to be an accidental partial self-portrait: a picture of someone looking down into the lens from close range. No facial details are visible, but the person who snapped the picture, presumably trying to see if the shutter was firing, was wearing a helmet. This frame is not in the collection.) Several pictures that were either too damaged, of poor technical quality, repetitive, or uninteresting have been left out of the collection.
Strasbourg, France
