Here is a bit of useless and trivial information, which may not mean much to those of us today who only take photos with mobile phones and digital cameras, but is nevertheless an interesting piece of photographic history.

How many readers of the Reepham Life 2020 Calendar wonder why the initial letters of the words on the banner across the Market Place are blank in the photograph for April 2020?

The reason is that in those days black-and-white photographs were taken using orthochromatic film, which is insensitive to red light (and hence could be developed under a darkroom red safelight).

We can assume that the initial letters of “Good Luck To Them” were painted in red, while the other letters were painted in shades of blue or green.

It was only later that panchromatic black-and-white film was introduced, which is sensitive to all colours (and hence must be developed in total darkness or in a developing tank).

Not a lot of people know that!

Rupert Birtles, Pettywell

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