Preface

I saw this roll of developed Kodak Super XX sitting at an antique store for three dollars. As I said on my philosophy page, “A photograph is one of the few pieces of evidence for anything or any moment that ever existed, the way it did visually.” Instead of letting it sit in the store not knowing what’s going to happen with it, I decided to rescue it myself. I simply could not think of a better solution. Now I can show the world those moments in history, the whole roll without any omission, while most of us never knew those moments even existed.

Since a photograph does not have any narrative ability, and it only describes light on a surface, I am going to use my imagination to narrate this roll of film, or you can jump right into the photographs and use your own.

– Kodak Super XX was discontinued in 1958, and that should indicate that this roll of film should have been taken before 1958, but after WWII.

– On the side, it said Kodak Velox Paper, that would make it circa 1950s-60s.

– The film is fogged, so it was either stored in a hot location when he was using the film, or he used expired film, or he didn’t develop this roll for a long time after he shot it.

– I believe the photos were photographed by a U.S. serviceman that served in Japan, and he finished the roll after he went home to America, somewhere that is cold and snows in the winter. (I am leaning towards Michigan, where I purchased this roll of film, but that really doesn’t mean anything).

– One of my Readers, Dave, pointed out that this is Yokohama Japan, You can see Jack and Queen towers, and Isezakicho shopping street.

The Photos

U.S. Navy 7th Fleet Base Post Office. Yokohama, Japan. Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall Isezakicho shopping street. Addtional info from a reader – #11 with the overhead street sign is in Yokosuka, Japan on Blue Street. This is one block from the US Naval Base, Yokosuka. The building featured middle right still stands with an antique “watches” sign fixed on it along with the Kanji characters as shown in your photo. It’s amazing the building was spared since some new modern apartments/combined storefronts were just thrown up next to it and the regional trend is to tear down every building older than 25 years and start over (unless it’s an important cultural monument, like a Shinto shrine). This building also is at the entrance of Honcho-Chome or “The Honch”, a street filled with American bars known to be a bit seedy today. — American living in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, JP Last one in Japan. Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall and Yokohama customs in sight. Mom? Dad? Is this his other family member, friends, or the owner of the camera himself? I strongly believe this is his hometown.

Since this roll is uncut, and I do not want to cut it, I had to ditch my Epson for the first time and scan it creatively.