Attacked AVUS negatives

OBJECT OF THE MONTH AUGUST 2025

Acetic acid syndrome is a familiar phenomenon in this category. In four sheet film negatives we recently discovered, the deterioration process manifests itself in a remarkable way. The white flashes, formed by the detachment of the base material, embed the image of the racing cars on the AVUS track in an almost cartoonish scene.

The negatives come from the F.C. Gundlach archive and demonstrate how sensitive photographic materials are to environmental influences. The surface is covered with a network of fine, whitish lines – a typical sign of the deterioration of the base material and not uncommon in acetate films. This is caused by chemical reactions that are accelerated by humidity, temperature fluctuations, or unsuitable storage conditions. The process is almost impossible to stop – but it can be slowed down through proper archiving in our climate-controlled storage facility.

The negatives are from a series that appeared in the spring/summer 1956 fashion issue of the magazine Film und Frau. The models wear trouser suits made of elastic wool fabric by Staebe-Seger, which are advertised with a surprisingly sophisticated programmatic text: "Women no longer just want to please; above all, they want to feel comfortable, capable, and secure in their own skin—and in the realm of civilization, clothing is a part of that skin. For life, so to speak, doesn't always treat them with kid gloves; it demands decisions from them, ruthlessly thrusts them into the public eye, categorizes them without granting them any special status—in short, it doesn't primarily demand their charm, but their personality."