The Kodak disc

OBJECT OF THE MONTH NOVEMBER 2024

The history of photographic technology has produced many curiosities. Among them is the Kodak disc, which we recently came across while working in the archive: a small round disc around which 15 tiny negatives are arranged in a circle, exuding the retro-futuristic charm of the 80s.

The Kodakdisc was developed as the successor to Pocketfilm and was released in 1982. For context: This was the year Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson produced "Thriller," perhaps the greatest song in pop history, and Helmut Kohl began his first term as Chancellor with his "spiritual and moral renewal" policy. However, unlike the King of Pop and the iconic pear-shaped bulb, the Kodakdisc's impact was limited. Despite a huge advertising budget and initially strong sales figures, Kodakdisc cameras disappeared from the market after only six years. Camera manufacturers and photographers hadn't embraced the technology as enthusiastically as expected. While the flat negative arrangement made Kodakdisc cameras handy, their image quality was significantly inferior to that of compact 35mm cameras. The film system continued to be supported for cameras already sold until December 31, 1999.

After converting the negative to a positive, it became clear that the film was exposed during a fashion shoot by F.C. Gundlach. The group photo shows F.C. Gundlach with models, assistants, and celebrity hairdresser Udo Walz. Gundlach worked with Walz, who was responsible for the models' hairstyles on set, for Brigitte magazine until 1986, traveling the world with him for international productions. The friendship that developed from this collaboration lasted until Walz's death on November 20, 2020.