Eastman Kodak introduced Kodachrome photographic film in 1935, and ceased production in July 2009. The beloved color reversal film was a mainstay of magazine photojournalism and family snapshots (confidentially, some of us preferred Ektachrome and Fujicolor). The Kodachrome development process is complicated and requires professional handling and proprietary chemicals.
Now that the stock of film and chemicals is exhausted, the last Kodak-certified processor, Dwayne’s Photo of Parsons, Kansas, will stop developing Kodachrome film at the end of this month. National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry bought the last roll of Kodachrome ever produced; Dwayne’s Photo developed it in July.
That’s not the end of the story, though. The last decades of the 20th century will always look like Kodachrome.
