Hi- I'm a history major at Haverford College in Haverford, PA. (motto= We've never heard of you, either) I'm currently taking a seminar on historical evidence. I'm given an object and asked to research it and present a paper on the object. My object is a "Graphic Film Pack Adapter, Cat. No 1232." It appears to be for 2.25 x 3.25 film. Does anyone have any information on this piece? (i.e. the range of years it was produced, the models of camera that it would work with, etc.?) Any help would be greatly appreciated. (and anyone who helps might be graced with a copy of my paper!) Thanks,
James

James,
To get you started, pack film was produced by many companies and holders were produced to hold it. If you click on the <i>search</i> button at the top of this or any page in this fourm and use <i>film pack adaptor</i> as the keyword, click the dot by <i>all the terms</i> and leave the default setting for the rest of the search function you will get most if not all the revelant information on pack film and their adaptors that have been posted on this site. There may be other sites with information also.
Happy reading,
Charles

I'll try with a few facts. This film pack adapter was an accessory made by Graflex to utilize film packs [film attacked to long paper strips, inside a "pack" for convenience of use, rather than the normal single sheet usage]. I know film packs were being made during the 1940s - don't know starting date. Most all Graflex accessory production ceased in the 70s.

These packs were made in 2 sizes - yours, 2 1/4 x 3 1/4, [commonly called 2x3] and a larger one for 4x5. I don't know when the packs for the smaller film were last made, but it was before the larger ones were stopped, in the 90s by Kodak, the last maker of film packs.

Your adapter would have fit any camera which accepted 6x9 sheet film. There were still many such cameras being produced in the 40s but they rapidly decreased in number afterward.

One reason for their demise was the development by Graflex of their Grafmatic film holders, in both 2x3 and 4x5 sizes. Production of the film packs was not cost effective when that same film could be used in the Grafmatic holder.

Those are broad generalizations, but they should get you "in the ballpark".

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: alecj on 2003-09-12 04:32 ]</font>

Any time you write a paper you always strive to aquire more data/information/knowledge than you'll need. To that end.....

Pack film goes back at least to the 20s and probably into the teens. The film is the same film used in roll film except it's cut into sheets and has a paper leader attached to each sheet.

Once exposed the tab is pulled, much like a Polaroid pack film camera, except here the film is pulled around to the back of the pack and the paper leader is torn off. The fact that the film had to bend around a divider meant the backing had to be flexible, unlike typical sheet film which, while more flexible than glass, won't bend 180°

The first version of the Graflex Film Pack Adapter was covered in leather and had a bright polished nickel clasp. Officially they were designed only for the Graflex back* and wouldn't fit most of the Speed Graphic cameras that had Graphic backs.

The adapter was redesigned sometime in the late 30s or 40s (note the art deco letter style) eliminating the leather in favor of paint. This would allow it to be used in Speed Graphic cameras. These are marked "Model 2"

I'm not sure when they started putting catalog numbers on items....I know the first Grafmatics that was introduced in 1950 didn't have catalog numbers on them.

Maybe my "model 2" intro date is a bit early. Has anybody seen a model 2 that doesn't say "Made by Graflex Inc."?

In 1945 The "Folmer Graflex Corp." changed its name to "Graflex Inc." So anything that says Graflex inc is post '45

*The Graflex company made two lines of cameras. The Graflex line of cameras were a single lens reflex camera with a mirror much like a 35mm camera, only a whole lot bigger. The second line was the Graphic line... These are the press cameras. Press cameras, for the most part used a different type of back than the SLR type camera and film holders were not interchangeable.

les

And some of us DO know where Haverford College is---not far from Swarthmore.

I'm running for the exit now....