Among the visual Images in the National Library of Jamaica are some which go back as far as the origins of photography. Niepce, in 1826, made the world’s first photograph in a camera. Daguerre, his colleague, invented the Daguerreotype process, which produced a positive photograph on a silver plated copper sheet. The highlights were milky white on a silver background. NLJ has some of these in its collection. Production of a Daguerreotype was a bit involved. The 6 ½”x8 ½” silver plated copper sheet had to be sensitised in the darkroom, placed in the camera, then after the photograph was taken it was developed and ‘fixed’ to make the image permanent. Daguerreotypes had to be viewed at the correct ‘angle’ for maximum clarity.

The new invention spread rapidly – barber shops being used as studios initially. This was about 1839. Maybe there were some persons in Jamaica using this system. But copies were difficult. Being a direct positive/process there was no negative to make extra copies, so the Negative/Positive process invented by Fox Talbot replaced it. Later, the ‘wet’ plate collodion process came in 1851. Glass plates coated with light sensitive chemicals, had to be inserted in the camera, exposed, then processed while still wet. Matthew Brady, the US Civil War photographer, had to travel with a portable darkroom.

Back in Jamaica, the Duperly Brothers must have used this process. Later on, ‘Dry’ sensitized glass plates were used in 1876. A short step from the glass negatives, usually 4”x5”, from which many prints could be made on photographic paper, was the positive ‘lantern slide’ which was also printed on glass 3 ¼“x4 ¼”, with a clear glass sheet bound with it to protect the emulsion. Lecturers used these lantern slides in their presentations – most slides were black and white, some sepia toned. NLJ has many Lantern slides and 4”x5” Glass Negatives. We have also, advertising theatre slides, used in Motion Picture Theatres in Jamaica from about 1930-1980. These were made locally from Jamaican scenes and ‘pack’ shots of the products, and carefully hand-coloured. Before ‘colour’ photography came on the scene about the middle to late 1930s there were many people who elevated the hand-coloured black and white photograph to a fine art. NLJ has many examples of hand-coloured photographs.

The next important development on the photographic scene was Rev. Hannibal Goodwin’s proposal to put the photographic emulsion on cellulose. (Celluloid nitrate). This paved the way for the birth of the motion picture industry, ‘roll’ film, cut film, film packs etc. NLJ has collections of all these. George Eastman’s ‘Kodak’ Company came up with the Kodak ‘Box’ camera. This was a moderately priced camera, with a simple cheap lens which could be used to take ‘snap’ shots of people/places and things. In Jamaica, one of the earliest ‘Kodak’ agents was AF Dunett, in Kingston. Professional photographers were not worried by this flood of cameras for vast numbers of people all over the world, because they knew that the quality and clarity of a photograph taken in a studio was for superior to a simple box camera ‘snapshot’.

Some of Kingston’s early photographers were Cleary and Elliott, WG Morais, DK Carinaldi, and later on, HM Bryan and Sons, Wally Allen, Allan Lambert, Amador Packer, Maria La Yacona, Ken Ramsay, Brian Rosen, Headley Samuels, Jack Biscoe (Aerials), Ernest DeSousa and many others – in addition to a host of ‘Amateur’ photographers whose abilities and successes established them on the world scene with respect to photography. NLJ has photographs from most of these photographers. Ivanhoe ‘skit’ Williams, press photographer donated his negatives to NLJ.

The motion picture industry in Jamaica is also taking off. DK Corinaldi, in the 1940s made a news film ‘Jamaica Prepares using 35 mm black and white motion picture film which he loaded on wooden rotatable racks and processed the film in large trays – final printing and finishing was done in Miami. Before TV came to Jamaica, Palace Amusement Company showed foreign films at several theatres scattered all over Kingston and in the rural areas as well. Show prices were cheap and the theatres were always crowded. This was from the 1920s to 1960s.

After the 1930s celluloid, due to its inflammable properties was replaced by ‘safety film’ cellulose acetate.

1963 and the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation were the first to process black and white 16mm motion picture film for news and documentaries. Martin Rennalls, formally with the Ministry of Education, then with A.E.T. Henry and the Government Public Relations Organisation, had set up the Jamaica Film Unit and already made documentaries in 35mm but was now head of the Jamaica Information Service. He tried using the JBC’s 16mm black and white processing facilities but felt that the JIS would be better off having its own 16mm black and white processing and printing laboratory. By about 1966 this become a reality when Mr. Frank Knight from Central Office of Information, London, came to Jamaica (through a World Bank Loan). Mr. Knight supervised and set up a 16mm processing and printing Laboratory, leaving some years later after local staff had been trained. Martin Rennalls was a cinematographer who expounded to all who would listen on the visual language of film, the magic of combining sound with picture and the importance of inspired editing to complete the final presentation. His team of cinematographers included ‘Chappie’ St. Juste, Cynthia Wimot, Trevor Welsh – Editors, Dudley Harrison, Pat LaFayette, Hopeton Fullwood. Photographers, Garth Morgan and Errol Harvey and many others.

The JIS made many full length documentaries. Producers from outside the JIS included Carey Robinson, Donat Bucknor etc. Finally, we folded our tents when video came on the scene. NLJ holds negatives and prints of all 16mm black and white footage owned by JIS and JBC, and, in addition Private Companies eg. Harvey Film Productions, also donated film material. Independent Film Producers (Perry Henzell and others) have completed full length feature films all shot in Jamaica.

What of the future? Picture Dis will continue to grow and serve. We welcome your donations of still and moving images. Our flatbed scanner has been accomplishing small miracles with old, faded maps/documents etc. We still operate our microfilm service and copies of old newspapers are still being viewed by clients. The silver image may have died – but with photographers like Franz Marzouca and Donette Zacca presenting us with archival digital prints – carbon prints, we are not worried. Prints such as these will last for 500 years or more.

Prepared by

Roy Thomas
Part-time Film Inspector

August 2008

NB – Roy Thomas formerly worked with the Jamaica Information Service’s 16mm black and white film processing and printing laboratory.