When this factory was still producing film, this process would take place in complete darkness, with only a little red or green guide light, depending on type of film being produced.

Following the coating of the celluloid base with emulsion, (Ger: Begiesserei), the film was hung out to dry like this, before being put onto large rolls to be cut and perforated and put onto spools, cartridges etc.

If one of these monstrous sheets of film ripped in the process, a huge spark would fly and the entire batch rendered useless.

I never did this myself, but my mother learned how to produce film before moving into the more cushy export department, and I once worked in R+D trying to analyse direct positive photo paper. It was not very good.

Christine is posing as a drying girl (Ger'Trockenfrau' here. To get through the production line, one had to enter through some very narrow hatch doors, meaning drying girls couldn;t be fat. But alas... be both passed the test!

Industrie-und Filmmuseum Wolfen, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany

www.ifm-wolfen.de/Service/service.htm