Tricolour Set

c. 1904

Sanger-Shepherd & Co.

London

England

Three filters - Red, Green, Blue - in a sliding holder to attach to the front of a lens. 1 ⅝" square. Box.

Notes:

Address on box: 5, 6, 7 Gray's Inn Passage. Red Lion Square.

This is the smaller of the two sizes of three-colour filter sets made by Sanger-Shepherd.

References & Notes:

BJA 1905, p. 1331.

Wratten Filter Set M

Kodak Ltd

London

England

Twelve filters - A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, K1, 45A, 78, 96. 2" square. Box.

Notes:

Address on box: Kodak Ltd. (Wratten Division).

These were intended for photomicrography and visual use with a microscope.

K was a Trade Name registered by Wratten & Wainwright in 1911.

References & Notes:

BJP 1911, p. 30.

Kodacolor Filter

1928

Eastman Kodak Co.

Rochester

USA

To fit an f1.9 Cine-Kodak lens. In case, box.

This is three-colour filter for the Kodacolor lenticular process (16 mm cine film) used over the taking lens, a similar lens was used over the projection lens. The filter comprises three glass strips coloured red, green and blue.

Further Information:

The process is described in Coote, History of Colour Photography.

Autochrome Filter

. T.K. Grant, London. Colour correction filter.

Pale yellow filter and a clear glass screen. 6 x 6 cm. Box.
Two yellow glass screens, one marked Aesculin. 3 x 3 cm. Box.

Address on box 89 Gt. Russell St. London. W.C. 1912 - 1927.

Dufay Filter

. Dufay-Chromex Ltd, Elstree. Colour correction filter. Gelatine film, unmounted, in packet. 6 x 6 cm.

Address on box Dufay-Chromex. Elstree.

Dufay-Chromex distributed Dufay products from 1936 or early 1937.

References & Notes:

AP 9/6/1937.

Thames Colour Plate Filter

. Thames Colour Plate Co. Ltd, London. Colour correction filter, lemon yellow. Gelatine film, unmounted, in packet. 6 x 6 cm. The instructions suggest placing the filter between the lens elements.

Address on box Thames Colour Plate. 356 High Holborn. c. 1908 - 1914.

Agfa Colour Plate Filter

. Aktien Gesellschaft für Anilin Fabrikation, Berlin. Colour correction filter. Three filters (gelatine film, mounted between glass) together with holder. Marked 20 (normal, daylight), 21 (strong, winter sun) and 22 (weak, early morning). Box.

Agfa Colour Plate Filter

. Details as above.

Omnicolore Filter

. J. Jougla. Colour correction filter. Two filters, gelatine film, mounted between glass, one marked Aesculin, 6 x 6 cm. Box.

Omnicolore Filter

. J. Jougla. Colour correction filter. Gelatine film, mounted between glass, 4.5 x 4.5 cm. Box.

Dufay Dioptichrome Filter

. Société Anonyme des Plaques et Produits Dufay R. Guilleminot, Boespflug et Cie, Paris . Colour correction filter. 6 x 6 cm. Instruction sheet. Box.

The box has the agents address: Autotype Co. 74 New Oxford St. The Dufay Dioptichrome process dates to between 1909 and around 1914.

Dufay Dioptichrome Filter

. Société Anonyme des Plaques et Produits Dufay R. Guilleminot, Boespflug et Cie, Paris . Colour correction filter. 6 x 6 cm. Instruction sheet. Box.

The box has the agents address: Autotype Co. 74 New Oxford St. The Dufay Dioptichrome process dates to between 1909 and around 1914.

Autochrome Filter

. Lumière & Jougla, Lyon. 12 x 12 cm filter. Box.

Autochrome Filter

. A. Lumière et ses Fils, Lyon. 4.5 x 4.5 cm filter in mount to clip to lens. Box.
The filter holder is marked Lumière. The box also has the Lumière & Jougla name on an added label.

Autochrome Filter

. Colour correction filter for the Autochrome process. 62 mm diameter in metal mount.

Agfa Colour Plate Filter

. Aktien Gesellschaft für Anilin Fabrikation, Berlin. Colour correction filter. Marked 20 (normal, daylight) with sprung-mount holder. Two boxes.

Paget Filter

. Colour correction filter for the Paget process. 62 mm diameter in metal mount.

Autochrome Filter

. Newman & Guardia Ltd, London. Autochrome filter in mount marked AUTO. Case.

Ducar Autochrome Filter

. Carl Zeiss, Jena. Two colour correction filters for Autochrome incorporating a negative lens that displaces the image to compensate for the thickness of the glass plate. For 12 cm lenses. Push-in fitting, 28.5 mm diameter.

Serial Number:

18835, 17055 .

L. N. A. Process Filters

. Lumière North American Co. Three-colour separation filters for the L. N. A. Natural Color Photography process.

This is a modification of the three-colour bichromate gelatine process.

Ensign Isochromatic Screen No.1B

. Houghtons Ltd, London. Correction filter. Dyed glass, 6x exposure value, push-on mount. Case.

References & Notes:

Ensign Handbook, p. 69. BJA 1907, p. 344.

Ilford Isochromatic Screen. No. 1

. c. 1891. Britannia Works Co. Ltd, Ilford. Correction filter. Glass filter, brown/yellow, holder and clamp which is screwed to the front of the camera. Case.

Address on case: Britannia Works Co. Ltd. Ilford. Reverse of case states that the makers are: W. Tylar. 57 High St. Aston. Birmingham.

References & Notes:

PA 1892 p. 382. BJA 1898, p. 523. BJA 1900, p. 519.

Imperial Orthochrome Filter

. Imperial Dry Plate Co. Ltd, Cricklewood. Correction filter. Dyed glass. 2x exposure factor. Case. Two examples.

Burchett's Colour Screen

. 1894. J.H. Dallmeyer Ltd, London. Three filters - 36mm, 43 mm, 47 mm screw fitting in red Morocco covered boxes.

Made in three series: Light yellow/green; Light olive green, used in conjunction with a light amber filter; Dark green. The claim was that these filters gave a truer rendering. The filter could be screwed to the rear element of the lens or pushed into the lens hood.

References & Notes:

BP 24487/1893. BJA 1901, p. 1534. The Photogram 1894, p. 116.

Wellington Light Filter

. Wellington & Ward, Elstree. Box.

Dark Yellow Filter

. Sanger-Shepherd & Co., London. Probably for colour plate work. Box.

Beck-Harris Spectrum Filter

. c. 1906. R & J Beck Ltd, London. Quality II, with lens cap.

This is an isochromatic filter made in two qualities, I was intended for process work and was considerably more expensive than the II version.

References & Notes:

BJA 1907, p. 182.

Yellow Filter

. J.H. Dallmeyer Ltd, London. 2x exposure factor. Box.

Yellow Filter

. Ross Ltd, London. Gelatine between glass. Screw-in mount. Box.

Address: 31 Cockspur St.

Gelbglasfilter III hell

. Carl Zeiss, Jena. Push-in mount. Carl Zeiss produced filters that pushed on to the outside of the lens and also some, like this example, that pushed into the inside of the lens rim, a velvet band grips the filter to the lens.

Graduated Yellow Filter

. Aktien Gesellschaft für Anilin Fabrikation, Berlin. Spring fixing to lens, 45 x 60 mm. Glass is marked Agfa. In boxes.

Lifa-Lichtfilterfabrik

, Augsburg. Two 60 x 60 mm filters. Gelbfilter No. 3, orange filter 5A. Box.

Retailer's label: Walter Talbot, Berlin.

Lifa-Lichtfilterfabrik

, Augsburg. Two 45 x 45 mm filters. Orange filter No. 4, orange filter 5A. Box.

Retailer's label: Walter Talbot, Berlin.

Graduated Yellow Filter

. Rhaco, Frankfurt a.m.. Spring fixing to lens. Case.

Graduated Yellow Filter

. Sanger-Shepherd & Co., London. Metal holder with 2" x 3" glass filter. Push-on fitting, 35 mm diameter. Box.

Graduated Yellow Filter

. Metal holder with 2" x 3" glass filter. Push-on fitting, 37 mm diameter.

The finish is similar to Sanger-Shepherd products.

Graduated Sky Filter

. Verax G.M.B.H., Dresden. Metal holder with 1 ½" x 2 ¾" glass filter. Spring fitting, c. 34 mm diameter. Box.

Contrast Filters

. Three filters - Beta, Gamma, K111 - screw-in mounts. Case.

Kodak Sky Filter

. Kodak Ltd, London. Graduated yellow filters - No 8 size. No 20, in tin. No 22, in tin, instructions.

Ilford Colour Filter

. Alpha, in blue leather case. Beta, in red leather case. Gamma, in red leather case. Gamma, film only, in packet. Micro 5, film only, in packet, instructions. All unmounted.

Ilford Colour Filters

. Tri-colour Blue, Tri-colour Green, Beta (three examples), Gamma. 2" square gelatine in grey packets.

Ilford Colour Filter

. Micro 5, 36 mm clamp-on mount. Case.

Ilford Colour Filter

. Alpha (104) aluminium mount, leaflet, box.

Ilford Filter

. HS (301), unmounted in brown plastic case.

Ilford Filter

. Infra red, gelatine between glass, 5 cm diameter, in red leather pouch.

Ilford Filter

. Q 805, Ultra Violet, gelatine between glass, 3 ½" x 2 ½", in green leather pouch.

Ilford Filter

. Minus Green 503, gelatine between glass, 3 ½" x 2 ½", in green leather pouch.

Filter Set

. R.F. Hunter Ltd, London. Set of bayonet mount filters for the Rolleiflex. Pale yellow, yellow, orange, red, green.

UV Filter

. Marked RM on the rim and box. The glass is made to be removable allowing different filters to be fitted, the odd way of achieving this was to grip the glass by thumb and forefinger and pull it out through a slot against a spring. Box.

HW Filter

. Ilford Ltd, Ilford. Blue/green colour correction filter for use with panchromatic plates in half-watt lighting. The exposure factor was 6x. Gelatine, in packet, instructions.

Kodak Series VI Filter Adapter

. Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester. Series VI adapter with a portrait lens. The adapter consists of a filter holder and a retaining ring. Interchangeable filters and close-up lenses were supplied in slim metal mounts. The adapter was bulky and quite heavy.

Kodak Adjustable Filter Holder

. Kodak Ltd, London. Spring mounted filter holder for 2" diameter Wratten light filters, with yellow filter, box.

Handcross Universal Filter Holder and Lens Hood

. c. 1948. Neville Brown & Co. Ltd, London. Spring mounted filter holder and lens hood, with yellow filter, box.

References & Notes:

BJA 1949, p. 244.

Herotar Polarising Filter

. c. 1937. Carl Zeiss, Jena. Polarising filter. 37 mm diameter.

Serial Number:

6478 .

Bernotar Polarising Filter

. Carl Zeiss, Jena. Polarising filter. In leather case.

When introduced Zeiss polarising filters were known as Herotar.

Johnson Colour Screen Filter JD.2

. Johnsons of Hendon Ltd, London.

Johnson Filter Indicator

. Johnsons of Hendon Ltd, London. For filter 2XY. With leaflet.

This is a plastic dial similar to the popular exposure calculators of the time. The subject is set on the rear of the dial, the front then shows the effect the filter will have. Suitable for one filter colour only.

Johnson Master Filter Indicator

. Johnsons of Hendon Ltd, London. With leaflet.

Plastic dial. The subject is set on the front of the dial, the rear then shows a choice of filters that can be used.

The Master filter indicator showed which filter to use to obtain a certain effect; individual filter indicators (for 2XY etc.) showed the effect produced by a particular filter on each of a range of subjects.

Focal Filter Chart

. Focal Press, London. Calculator showing the exposure increase for different filters and films. Tables showing the effect of filters.

Optically filters were either made from dyed-in-the-mass glass of from a coloured film usually mounted between glass. Filters were usually placed in front of the lens but can be mounted behind the lens or between the lens elements. The term 'screen' was often used rather than filter. The main types are:

Correction

These are pale to medium yellow in colour to correct for the over sensitivity at the blue end of the spectrum of orthochromatic plates. Often sold as 'isochromatic screens'. Special filters were sold for colour plates such as Autochrome. The Zeiss Ducar correction filter for Autochrome or Agfa colour plates incorporated a negative lens to displace the image further from the lens to compensate for the emulsion being behind the plate, the filter was put in place after focusing.¹ Colour correction filters for early colour processes were produced in different strengths for different times of the day.

Contrast

Used to modify the tones of a black and white negative. Yellow and green filters, similar to correction types, were used quite early, orange became popular in the late 1930s. Graduated 'sky' filters - part yellow, part clear - became popular in the 1920s but were available earlier.²

Three-Colour Process

Filter sets for producing separation negatives.

Colour Balance

To correct for the colour temperature of the light source. Blue filters were produced for using panchromatic films in half-watt lighting. Later pale blue and amber filters were used with colour film to correct colour casts and for using, for example, tungsten balanced film in daylight.

UV

These reduce the transmission of ultra violet light, of use when photographing distant scenes where ultra violet light is especially scattered resulting in lower contrast.

Polarising

These pass light polarised in one plane while largely eliminating light polarised at right angles to that plane. Originally used to control reflections from non-metallic surfaces. Commercially available from the late 1930s.

Filter Comparisons (approximate)

	Ilford	Wratten/Kodak	Ultrasorban	Zeiss-Ikon	Carl Zeiss
Pale Yellow-UV	Aviol, 102		200	G0
	103, Chromatic No. 1
Pale yellow	Alpha, 104	K1	201	G1	L
	Chromatic No. 2
	Micro No. 8
Yellow		K1 ½
Yellow	ISO, 105	K2, 8	202	G2	D
Yellow	108
Deep Yellow	Delta, 109	K3, G, 15	300	G3
	Chomatic no. 3
Minus Blue	110, Micro No. 4
Green		X2	602	G.R 10, GR55
Orange	201
Orange	202, Micro No. 5	E		G4
Pale Red	203	A, 25	901	R10	RG1
Tricolour Red	204
Red	205		902	R15	RG5
Deep Red	206	F, 29
Infra-red	207	87, 88a, 91		R20, R30	RG8
Light Blue	HS, 301	H
Minus Red	302
	303, Micro No. 2
Tricolour Blue	304
	305, Micro No. 1
Narrow cut Tricolour Blue	306
Blue		H	801, 802	B5, B40
Cyan	307
Pale Green	Beta, 401	X1, 11	601
Yellow/Green	Gamma, 402			G.R 5, GR50	VG4
Green	HW, 403	H	801, 802	B5, B40
Tricolour Green	404, Micr No. 3
	Astra, 406
Narrow cut Tricolour Green	408
Graduated Yellow			500	VG6
Graduated Green			700
Purple / Magenta	501, Micro No. 6
Purple / Magenta	502, Micro No. 7
Minus Green	503
UV	Q, 805	1a
Tricolour		A B C

K3, used with panchromatic plates, was obsolete around 1932. X1 and X2 were introduced around 1932.

Visual Filters

Filters were also produced for visual use. These appeared at quite an early period, Wratten & Wainwright produced a Monochromatic Viewing filter by 1912.

MV Monochromatic Vision

Shows the scene without colour with the differences in brightness as would be seen by a non-colour sensitive emulsion. Dark yellow.

PV Panchromatic Vision

Shows the scene as seen by panchromatic emulsion. Used in conjunction with a contrast filter to judge its effect. Purple in colour.

References & Notes:

BJA 1902, pp. 742, 885. BJA 1909, p. 647. BJA 1948, p. 117. BJA 1957, p. 431. Kodak Museum Cat.
Filter Comparisons: Westminster Cat. 1939, p. 23. Minit&Cine, 1938, p. 249. ZI Cat. 1937, p. 98. Contax Photography (1938), p. 46. Johnsons Year Book 1956, p. 27. Ilford Plates & Films, p. viii. Phot. Journal 7/1932, p. x.

[1] The increase was ⅔ that of the thickness of the plate. BP 23738/1907. BJA 1909, p. 647. BJA 1913, p. 119.

[2] BJA 1901, p. 257.

Company Details: