Process

Most of these frames are 35mm Kodachrome slides; a few are larger sheet transparencies. Kodachrome holds its color remarkably well, so the scans need much less correction than other films of the same age.

What is done to each frame

• Dust and scratch spotting, by hand, only where it distracts.
• A gentle levels adjustment. No sharpening beyond what the scan already has.
• No cropping of the image area, apart from the slide mount edges.
• Saved as high-quality JPEG at the native scan size, typically 5,000–7,800 pixels on the long side.

Why full size

At web size these photos look like postcards. At full size you can read shop signs, price tags and license plates, and that is where most of the fun is.

Using the files

The originals are public domain. Use them however you like; a link back to the source record is appreciated but not required.