I Found a Mystery Film in a 60-Year-Old Camera

[@MathieuStern]

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[@aisyean7942]

I wanted to know it the owner and the Film are reunited again.

[@PaulFalduto]

Me too

[@xtof1er]

c'est un peu insultant d'entendre "very old" et 1986 dans la même video. Clairement, les photos ressemblent aux années 80 en revanche c'est l'appareil photo qui me semble hors contexte

[@RonLaws]

@@xtof1er Désolé que vous vous sentiez comme ça ! Cependant, dans le contexte, un film non développé est considéré comme ancien lorsqu'il a déjà dépassé la date de péremption qui est généralement de 2 ans après sa fabrication. (Sorry you feel this way! However, in the context, an undeveloped film is considered old when it has already passed the expiration date which is usually 2 years after its manufacture.)

[@xtof1er]

@@RonLaws ok, je comprends votre point de vue. Merci d'avoir répondu, j'avoue que je n'en attendais pas autant.

[@Jerbod2]

I bought a camera online, found a film inside. Developed it, found pictures of people smoking, in their bamboo chairs, with vintage cars in the background, and a vintage TV. Emailed the seller, her mom was in those pictures, she barely had any pictures of her, so she was really happy with those as her mom died not long after. It was from 1964 I believe.

[@boedye]

Certainly a time to dance a "fandango", wouldn't you say??

[@Jerbod2]

@@boedye :)

[@jem8472]

Great name from a great game.

[@jharris947]

Nice one........😎

[@Jerbod2]

@@boxenjoyerkona To be fair it was a really old camera at the time already when those pictures were taken (1930 or so, bergheil voightlander fyi) so I wouldnt expect pictures of my mom on there either if she died in 2000 and the camera was from 1976

[@richsackett3423]

The level of resolution you were able to discern from a 35 year-old roll of 120 Kodacolor II truly boggled my mind. It looked like magic. That software is really something else.

[@spectaclesociety]

Looked like hyperrealistic oil painting

[@RaccoonCityPoliceDept]

Because film doesn't have a resolution. If you have the original print, you can transfer infinite resolution. If done properly, that is.

[@richsackett3423]

@@RaccoonCityPoliceDept That is wrong and not an accurate of physical reality. All media has a resolution limit. This is all basic non-flat-earth science.

[@ignjatmarinkovic7884]

@@RaccoonCityPoliceDept well, i mean, the grains have a certain size to them

[@ryserofilms]

Option 6 : Images from the future.

[@asmrcuriositycabinet3143]

Or images of the dinosaurs shot by a time traveler hipster

[@MathieuStern]

images from Back to the future (1985)

[@Danny-nc6ol]

lol

[@tomdchi12]

Mathieu stumbles into La Jetée par Chris Marker...

[@ivanguerra1260]

Mathies, try to restore the fotos as if they were taked today, that w´be amaizing.

[@johnps1670]

No picture of the Eiffel Tower, must had lived in Paris.

[@straightpipediesel]

I think they were going to the Eiffel Tower to take pictures but the kids got a hold of the camera and managed to wind up the rest of the roll of film or maybe the camera got stolen. That's why there's only 5 exposures on it and the train station, which happens to be the one closest to the Eiffel Tower, is the last (2:35).

[@SC-sf8xt]

Lol thanks for the laugh . Sounds like jaques cousteu

[@norbertfleck812]

The crooked photo from inside the train might have been shot by accident at the moment the camera was stolen.

[@pavook]

@@norbertfleck812 I agree. It doesn't look like something people would waste valuable space for photos for at least the next some 20 years until the rise of digital cameras. It would not surprise me with the point of view fairly low, that it was the work of one of the kids from photos before who wasted a shot on the doors.

[@PascalGienger]

@@norbertfleck812 Why would someone steal a camera and then doing nothing with it so it ends up at a flea market with still that exposed film inside? The thief saw it was 120 film and not 135 so useless for him/her?

[@tonyzs7590]

Ingenious! I would really like to see the family’s reaction when you return the film.

[@TEAKUKAMBASSADOR]

Yes, perhaps you could make a video of this "reunion" moment, Mathieu, if it happens.

[@amristar736]

I hope they're still alive. I mean, you could be young but dead. Right?

[@davidschmidt6013]

"They have all the tools to develop film.." ..... technician opens film with screwdriver...

[@macmac8249]

David Schmidt Aha! Good one. You picked up on that, eh? Never underestimate....that screwdriver looked pretty darn high-tech. IT’S probably from 1986.

[@largol33t1]

LOL, I took photography classes in high school and was wondering what specialty equipment I would need. Then the teacher reaches into his pocket and produces the most important (he says!) tool needed: a 99 cent bottle opener.

[@marsgal42]

I use a bottle opener to open 35mm film canisters and a pair of little kiddie scissors to cut the leader. They rounded on the end so I won't hurt myself doing things by feel.

[@littlejack6123]

It was medium format film. Tech was just breaking the paper seal so he could unroll the film.

[@CommodusSPQR]

I used to break the seal with my fingers. The interesting part was the other end of the film, which is attached to the backing paper, and you had to tear off in the dark. Very often you'd see a spark caused by static electricity, but it never caused any fogging on the film.

[@CyrilViXP]

Imagine, how awkward it could be, if you’re taking some extreme porn photos and forgetting about it, and after 35 years some random guy is bringing these photos back to you

[@inthestudy]

It happens! Had a customer bring in six rolls of original Agfa-gevaert Vista a while back (1995-2004ish?). One roll was all naked pictures of her husband, who had been dead for a decade or so. This became awkward when I went to buy lunch, got to the cashier and the customer (who happened to be behind me in the queue) loudly interrupted the sale to tell the cashier how I had just seen her dead husbands' Penis.

[@GrumpyStormtrooper]

In The Study why the fuck hahahahaha why even bring it up?

[@finscreenname]

So many porn movies start that way. As a flooring installer you would be shocked what we used to find that people would leave behind after knowing for weeks we were coming. You completely empty someone's bedroom that has lived there for years, they forget all kinds of stuff. Home made porn, guns, toys, drugs, you name it we have found it and trust me you really don't want to especially if the customer is standing there. At one point I actually starting telling my customers when scheduling the install, "they will take apart every part of the room, they will open draws and in some cases due to weight even remove them (if you stash things behind the draws, found 10 grand there once), they will take the mattress off the box spring (famous for loaded guns and loaded toys), anything off the floors in the closets (shotguns), etc, etc. I would even mention half jokingly, if you have a secrete door where you hide your 20lbs of weed behind, put the weed in the trunk of your car along with the rest of the stuff you don't want a installer to see. I say half joking because we also found that at least 5 times over the years.

[@frequentlycynical642]

Not near as embarrassing as when your kids find them.

[@nicola4297]

You just remembered me to develop my film with hot shots of my woman

[@shinyprimer3459]

I love how you investigated and found the location of that subway train. Almost like a treasure hunt. Nice video!

[@djolley61]

Brings back memories. Great detective work by the way. Reminds me when I worked in a photo lab and a thirty-ish year old woman came in with some older film. Probably had been stored in a glove box because the color was way off. Spent a lot of time adjusting the color as good as we could get it, then she didn't even want them!

[@wesleytillman9774]

Thanks for the effort. You get a gold star.

[@RSpudieD]

I can't believe you found out so much information about these. Good detective work!

[@Sacred-Heart-of-Jesus829]

I just want to commend you for taking the time to have the photos developed and doing the research. You are a very generous person. I hope you will be able to locate the family! 💓❤💕💖🌷⚘😚

[@iyasuo]

Cool, find them please.

[@MathieuStern]

I will do my best !

[@sartavalates]

@@MathieuStern we want see them here as possible

[@Retroaria]

I think the besr way is spreading the video on France Facebook. Starting in france sales groups... Post the video on official france Tv Facebook channels. Good Look

[@ivok9846]

how will he find them, he's not michael bloomberg to plaster whole france with giant billboards with these images...and perhaps not only france....chances of somebody seeing this video are slim

[@iyasuo]

@jason9022 Really?

[@michaelglass8546]

Could be a cool series to look for old film cameras that have film in them and process it like you did here.

[@inthestudy]

How nostalgic. I did this for a customer (roll of Kodacolor II, 120, 6x6, found in an old camera) for a customer of my lab on Wednesday. Slightly fogged (but very well exposed) aerial photography. Good fun find. For the record, the film you developed was only released in 1974 - so it couldn't have been from the 60's!

[@b6983832]

1974 was the year first C-41 films appeared. Older Kodak color negatives used different process, C-22, which is not compatible with modern C-41 chemistry. Developers for these films have not been commercially available in decades. You can of course develop these as black & white, which is of course the safest option for any film this old.

[@Ss0oUuLl]

3:07 First clue: they're having lunch, therefore most probably photos weren't taken in the USSR

[@tomdchi12]

The baguettes on the table aren't the proof that it's a French family, it was la salade de carottes râpées!

[@L.Spencer]

I don't know what that carrot salad is, I'll have to look it up. Update: www.davidlebovitz.com/carottes-rapee/

[@rich1051414]

Yep, it could have been italian, if that was pasta they were eating instead of carrot salad :P

[@dwh5512]

LOL you just like to complain don't you. Did it occur to you that the French laundry powder and the French rail station also prove it's France. Oh, and the fact he found the film in France.

[@Adson_von_Melk]

My mother makes this kind of salad too, and I'm from Azerbaijan...

[@madmoiselle007]

Those are carrots ? Lol I thought it was shredded shedder cheese 🤯

[@edwincasimir28]

Haha, you gave me a chortle when you showed that thumbnail of Sean Connery as Zed. I just finished watching Zardoz a day before. Weird, weird movie.

[@SaschaHirschner]

Very interesting story. A while ago I found a Voigtländer Avus with an ancient, undeveloped film. It was a Perutz film, the Perutz company was taken over by Agfa in 1964, so the film had to be very old. I developed it carefully and the results were outstanding! In the pictures you could see young men from the Frankfurt area who were photographed again before going to war. The last pictures of the role show the men at a bus station in Frankfurt with uniform and luggage. This is why I am into vintage cameras ;)

[@walterkersting1362]

I keep my laundry soap next to the fireplace too! (Said nobody ever).

[@jack002tuber]

I wonder if it was a box being used for other things (if so, his time frame would be off more)

[@JesusGaveMeNewSoul]

Well you can see that they were storing other things in there, that's in the picture already. Looks like an old speaker or tape player in the gamma box.

[@gilgemash]

They were recycling the soap box with extraaa coal 😷🌈

[@R3TR0R4V3]

Hey, speak for yourself, buddy! It's a good a place as any! 😜

[@KetansaCreatesArt]

Being too old of a film, you developed them at their best. Lets continue finding the family 🤗🌼🍀

[@OronOfMontreal]

The photos on the film you found are charming and I hope you find the grown-up subjects. In Montreal in the mid-70s my stepfather had the same Lubitel 2 camera model in storage and he gave it to me. A few years later, I found in his mother's sewing box a roll of 120 film like yours, on which somebody had written "1969". I found it in 1983. My local lab had to send it to a pro lab in Montreal, who had to send it to a lab in Toronto, who had to send it to New York City, all because the film was for the defunct C-22 processing chemicals rather than the C-41 that prevailed in the 80s. To be frank, I no longer remember who or what was on that film. I ended up spending 24 years as a photo-printing technician, in Canada and then in Los Angeles, until digital photography destroyed my industry. Thank you for the memories of fun times.

[@Foxglove963]

Oron. Guess what? Film is back!! Enjoy!!

[@Foxglove963]

@ghgg Who says film ever was away? Cameras for film were well made, whereas digital camera bodies have a limited life span and don't retain their value. Those who want more pixels find its clogging up their computer. I put film into a 140 year old camera with sweet results.

[@daphne4983]

Today at the give away shop (everything donated and free to take) I found a thirties Balda Micky 2 model in leather case and film inside. Agfa from probably 50s. I'm having the roll developed. Hopefully there's something on it.

[@bencesphonecollection9979]

Is there an update?

[@Ameskhan]

J'ai adoré le principe de ta vidéo et j'espère que tu retrouveras ces personnes ! Ça serait une belle aventure de vécue ;)

[@paulforder591]

M. Stern, I wish you success in tracking down the children in the photos, who would now be adults--won't they be surprised if they saw them! 😉🇬🇧🇺🇸

[@nathanjohansen7169]

Enjoyed all your investigative work. And love that picture from the train!

[@Raychristofer]

Outstanding job with this video. One of my favorites from you. This was not just photography for entertainment it is very meaningful

[@bcgrittner]

Magnifique, mon ami. I recognized the film as 120 immediately. Kodak had 620 film years ago, but it only worked in Kodak cameras. It looked like 120, but the reels were different. Everything is digital today. I’ll keep my Canon AE-1 Program. There is one place near me that can process film.

[@truethought2581]

The reunion with these photos will certainly be priceless!!!

[@RussClarkRocks]

Awesome video! I hope you found the family in the photos. How precious these will be for those people.

[@jaygee6738]

that is so great you were able to get some images from this camera. Hope you find the kids/now adults.

[@JuanAntonioAzocarGutierrez]

Find them, Mathieu Holmes!

[@Bulletguy07]

Brilliant piece of detective work Inspector Clouseau!!!

[@DeputyNordburg]

Very cool. I do think you should be aware the baguette has escaped France in recent years and can also be found... everywhere.

[@fivizzano]

beautiful work ! AND the choice of Telemann's "Tafelmusik" ( rec. by Pieter-Jan Belder, 2013 )

[@ladyrachel13]

This is interesting. Thank you for creating this video. I love mysteries and old photos. 🔍📸

[@louietesta3752]

That was amazing detective work, I hope you get a chance to find the people and give them their photos.

[@ceesmouthaan4748]

Pictures look to be more from the early 70s. That box of gama in the picture is older than the one in the commercial by over 10 years. The font of the box in the commercial is uniform while the font in the picture goes from large on the outside to smaller in the middle of the word "Gama", which places the date in the first half of the 70s.

[@David2222]

Love your stuff. New find! Thanks. I particularly liked this one. I traded my studio in Toronto with a Parisien sculpto6 for 4 months…in 1987!

[@hlcepeda]

0:56 From Zardoz, with Love.

[@MrRobbyvent]

Yeah! It was a weird science fiction movie of the seventies, I remember it.

[@hlcepeda]

@@MrRobbyvent I'll bet Sean Connery has been trying to forget it. 😃

[@dwh5512]

OUTSTANDING VIDEO. What a great job of finding where & when. You should be a photo forensic investigator 👍

[@Grapez]

Option 6: photos of him looking at the photos he was looking at...

[@oddpotato4038]

or... option 7: photos of us watching him looking at the photos, damn this would be a great content for a horror movie 😂

[@gijsleffelaar908]

Same happened to the tape reels which someone bought on a flea market in Amsterdam. Turned out to belong to my former upstairs neighbor. I know because a documentary was made about tracking down the owner. Turned out he couldn’t pay the rent, ended up homeless, and finally found drowned in a canal.

[@immortal5670]

I was searching for the comment of that family. Not found 😔

[@saturnia22]

Found your channel randomly (not recommended) and watched two of these gems. subscribed!

[@bkitteh6295]

I have no idea why this got recommended to me, but it's a really great video! I enjoyed it very much - thanks!

[@ImageMaven]

Have you heard of Vivian Maier? Photographer from the USA who shot tonnes of film and most was never developed. Someone bought the contents of her abandoned storage locker and did some detective work. Turns out she was an amazing photographer but no one saw her work until after she died. There is still more film to be developed. Movie was made about her as well called, Finding Vivian Maier.

[@rafaelrodriguez1029]

I had a Lubitel back in 1962 in Cuba. The supply reel didn't have any holder. This condition makes the film advance a hard work, sometimes impossible to advance after 6 or 8 pictures taken.

[@raycope2086]

Good man Mathieu. It's a lovely thing that you are trying to do. I wish you rainbows.

[@ccchhhrrriiisss100]

This is very interesting! It is as if you're a "Detective of Photography!" I'd love to see even more videos like these.

[@KutWrite]

That could be a TV series.

[@heggy_69]

I love finding cameras that have film or even tapes/sd cards in it. It's like finding a piece of history

[@dougfowler1368]

That is so cool! I enjoyed how you narrated, keeping us intrigued with just the right amount of music and the right type 2 not make it overly distracting. I hope you can find them someday also.

[@armsby]

The Gama box on the photo is interesting because its very much different to your '86 TV Add. The writing has a bold black shadow and the box has an orange border. Looks more '40s or '50s style, like a marvel comic.

[@ladymunch0]

Fab video. I really hope this family come forward. That would be such a great ending to this story. I lov the music too by the way.

[@TPEcentrocampista]

Everything is fun and game until you get a snuff movie.

[@KutWrite]

...or one that shows your own murder.

[@debbiruiz9513]

I used to do 1 hr photo & used all the same equipment he used. What a blast from the past!😸

[@nickpedley3502]

My French Brother in law had one of those Lubitel 2 cameras that he bought new in the late 1970’s in France . They were a low cost but reasonably high quality camera from russia that permitted amateur photographers to obtain excellent definition photos from that particular format of film. This was a time when Russia was making inroads into Western Europe markets for sales of watches, cameras and radios at unbelievably low prices compared to similar high quality products already marketed there. As far as I recall, the Lubitel 2 camera gathered quite a large following of admirers because of its high definition lens system and its versatility of use under most lighting conditions, all at a very affordable price. It remained available on sale in France well into the 1980’s.

[@TanaCorporonlaw]

OOh, how I miss the darkroom and doing everything by hand!

[@984francis]

I still do everything by hand but it's got nothing to do with developing photos.....

[@TanaCorporonlaw]

@@984francis WHAT?!!! Are you being gross?? :(. so sad...

[@kevinjamiesonbelou]

That’s some impressive detective work!

[@DrJones-nh4my]

I love the detective work you put in to discover the original location of the photos

[@rickyreyramilo9322]

Wow! That's amazing! Thank you for sharing

[@plinker439]

4:43 omg that women is a goddess.

[@tomcabrera8223]

I found a roll in an old brownie camera. Got it developed and had about 8 good pictures of unknown people in an unknown location. Still a great adventure.

[@video99couk]

I'm really impressed that anything recognisable was recovered from a film that was waiting so long to be developed. I didn't expect anything.

[@chinlee9666]

"The umburger"

[@michaelfink64]

I would like to buy an amberger.

[@Evan490BC]

@@michaelfink64 Or "bugah", if you're British.

[@wordreet]

WoW! Fantastic equipment in that photo lab!

[@RS-Amsterdam]

But the boy is a Native Indian from the American Wild West, this is all so confusing !!

[@xanfus]

Lmao! This really made me laugh!

[@janegerrard1073]

I owned a Lubitel 2 in the 90s, the images come out a bit soft at the edges which made some shots look a bit imaginary, it was quite a good effect on the right film.

[@kshalhoub]

Wonderful video and great detective work. I am amazed that the subway door handles haven't changed in four decades. That means they must be still using the same subway train carriages.

[@lumpyfishgravy]

That was fun! My family have an old 120 camera kicking about ... but I don't think any undeveloped rolls.

[@paulschmolke188]

Great detective work and dedication to discovery.

[@kabaottoemulsion1869]

What an amazing detective skill! Thanks for very interesting video!

[@GoogleSpyZon]

Wonderful camera and great detective work, hopefully someone will recognize the people in the photos and a small piece of history returned to the family.

[@russbetts1467]

Great bit of Detective work in identifying time and place.

[@schnaps1790]

3:00 thats a realy good one

[@christopherbuckley94]

That's a great story. I hope that you find the people in the photos. Back in the 1980's when I was in College, I took a lot of photography classes and did my own developing including color C-41 and E-6 processing. The old camera from the former Soviet Union is great too!

[@sum12see]

thats amazing my friend..There was a Kodak camera found in a suitcase from December 1941 and inside the camera were never before published photos of the Dec7 attack on Pearl Harbor 1941...So you never know what we can find from history. Great story in this video...

[@Mr2at]

Absolutely fascinating. Bravo. Liked, commented and subscribed.

[@HappyComfort]

Cool! That’s very kind of you to try to find the owners! I hope you do! 😊👍🌸

[@zatoth13]

I remember those little dark boxes and splicers! I recall the machines kinda! I love the forensic photograph analysis as well!

[@boltmann]

You have the skills of a detective, I'm impressed. You kind of remjnd me of The Pink Panther (movie) he has a French Accent too! 😃 Would be relieved to see that they're reunited with their pictures

[@manjitsoni9676]

ਬਹੁਤ ਵਧੀਆ ਲੱਗੀ ਇਹ ਵੀਡੀਓ ਵੀਰੇ ਇਸ ਕੈਮਰੇ ਅਤੇ ਰੀਲਾਂ ਦਾ ਵੀ ਇਕ ਯੁੱਗ ਸੀ ਬਹੁਤ ਪਿਆਰੀ ਲੱਗੀ ਤੁਹਾਡੀ ਇਹ ਵੀਡੀਓ ਪੁਰਾਣਾ ਸਮਾਂ ਯਾਦ ਦਿਵਾਉਂਦੀ ਹੈ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ ਜੀ।

[@FCain-mf4tf]

Take it to a local News channel in Paris and see if they would show the pictures. Lots of news channels would do something like that since they are always looking for a story.

[@spiritwalker6153]

Magnificent detective work.

[@ronwhite9117]

This is a very commendable act you do...wish more people would have your kindness.

[@bmlsb]

I live in Santa Barbara CA. USA...I have many family undeveloped 8mm movie film from 70's, I can not find a place to develop, and transfer to digital. I contacted Nation Photo but have not heard back

[@Germatti13489]

I hope you locate the people in the photos because I know they would be thrilled to have the photos that you developed. my dad was always taking the photos so you wonder if something happened to their father then no one thought to look in the camera before getting rid of it.

[@grecco_buckliano]

I think you covered all possible "Options" very nicely, lol. And great job on the photo-forensics. Very interesting.

[@brentsummers7377]

Very good work! I recognized the train door handles so I guessed it would not be super old. It was amazing you could find the exact location of the light at the train station.

[@MathieuStern]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@deidreperryman172]

How wonderful of you to want to find these family. Amazing technology, and alittle history also. I hope you can locate them. Thanks for sharing take care

[@ryangibson2831]

That is cool. I bet the kids are somewhere out there and would love to see them.

[@alun7006]

Excellent detective work! My Lubitel 2 is one of my favourite cameras.

[@AlsCollectibles]

Wow! Awesome! Thanks for sharing

[@adrinathegreat3095]

Had this happened lots of times whilst picking up old film cameras from charity shops, carboot sales. I develop negatives mostly it is pictures of families at birthdays, xmas, holidays and special occasions. People didnt take endless photos of thier food, film was expensive so more consideration was made to the photo being taken. I use the exact same method, pretty standard stuff, look for items you can date " kids holding up a board game they got for xmas" food packets, cigarette packets, clothing they're wearing, hairstyles, all give small clues to getting a rough date. Exactly where they are taken and by whom remains a mystery if all photos are inside the house. I like the way you " conveniently" had one photo that gave a place name:) It's good fun though, even though I've absolutely no doubt you know who the people are anyway. Detective work is fun... Clues are there, all you have to do is look for them

[@JefiKnight]

1986? That isn't old. You are easily impressed. I may have some undeveloped photos of 1986 laundry soap around somewhere. 😊

[@EmmaLantern]

We found a Kodakcolor II film roll too! We're hoping that we can find an image as well.

[@craigthescott5074]

My dad had one of these cameras back in the 70’s you had to manually wind it for every picture. I’m surprised the developer knew how to process the film.

[@scooper4981]

All film cameras had to be manually wound for each image, unless you had what was called a "motor drive" or automatic winder. Those devices were attached to the bottom of the camera and linked to the film advance mechanism. Typically, only professional photographers (usually shooting sporting events) and serious amateurs had those.

[@Unidente02]

It was good that you had the film developed and printed. Now things will be so much better in the universe if the children now adults claim their photographs, to enhance their family memories.

[@seannot-telling9806]

My grandmother gave me a camera back in the 80's and it had a very old roll of B/W film in it. We were able to develop it and got one image. I asked around and no one in the family knew who the photo was of. but it did not help that the people were facing away from the camera. We thought that the image was very early 60's to late 50's.

[@fractode]

Great detective work! (And, I almost fell off my chair when you mentioned possibility Number 5... :D )

[@MathieuStern]

Glad you liked it!