Trying to figure out frame order for old Kodak format 120 Film

[ghelfrich919]

I have a couple of questions which I was hoping someone could help me with. Let me give everyone a little more background as to what I am trying to do.

My mother passed away back in 2008, and my brother has given me all her old film negatives and pictures. Over the course of time, I have been scanning these old negatives and pictures. The film she has is both color/B&w format 120 film as well as color format 135. I have already gone through and done an initial scan of all the film negatives so far.

I have saved each picture starting with a unique number to identify the roll of film along with an appended incremented number to represent the frame. Each scanned frame was given such an identifier being the next film placed on the scanner from the stack of film grouped for the film roll. The film was not any time given to scan in sequential frame order.

Now I am going back and sequencing the frame number I mentioned to represent the time sequential order of the frames. This is intended to represent the time order the pictures were taken by the shooter. For example, the picture taken first would be given a number like this "unique identifier"_01 and so on to the last frame. For the format 135 film, this is easy since the frames are numbered.

Here is my problem. For the format 120 film, this is not an easy task since the film I have is not numbered for each frame. And I have found that a pile of 120 film in an envelope which I thought was all part of the same roll is actually a combination of more that a single film roll. I discovered this when I realized the film in the roll was different. So far, it is all Kodak film, but the Kodak label may be different. Digging a little further, I realized the format 120 film she has should only have 12-13 frames, not the 20-30+ in several cases I have found.

From what I see, typically the film was cut by the developer into sheets with 2 frames on each. And it seems there was a common practice of possibly sharing a negative with others by cutting part some of these sheets. In many situations, I have a single frame along with sheets of 2 frames which has led to this conclusion.

Without frame numbering on the format 120 film, it has been very challenging to reconstruct the order of the frames in time sequence, particularly with only single negatives in some cases. I have been using a magnifying glass to piece the film in order by matching cut marks and piecing edge markings along with the subject matter on the film itself to get a fairly accurate time sequence I believe.

So now, here is my question. As I said, so far the format 120 film has all been Kodak. Since the dates for the subject matters on the film is not known to me, I don't know which end of the film is the picture taken first to give the time sequence with which to number my pictures. You'd think I could figure this out, but so far I have not been able to figure out a method I can use to do this. The time sequence the shooter took the pictures is not very evident particularly if there are only a couple of pictures of an event along with a couple of pictures of other events on the same film.

I don't know which event took place first to time order the pictures. I thought the edge marking on the film might tell me which end of the roll was the end with the first taken picture. For all the Kodak 120 film, it is marked with the phrase below repeating and equally spaced along the outer edge of the film:

<<< Kodak Safety Film

I thought the direction of the phrase would/could give me an indication on the picture sequence. Additionally, I was thinking the arrow marker in front of the repeating phrase could also give me a method to find the first frame taken if I understood if the first frame was towards or away from the arrow.

I have tried to find any info online that would tell me how Kodak marked their 120 film I have to tel[ me the film direction. This will help me to reconstruct the time sequence of the film to make it easier to view with family as well as provide more info for historical purposes.

Does anyone have any insight into how Kodak labeled this 120 film as I mentioned to know whether the arrow points towards or away from the picture taken first?

Any help/insight is greatly appreciated.

Gerry

 

[compur]

Does anyone have any insight into how Kodak labeled this 120 film as I mentioned to know whether the arrow points towards or away from the picture taken first?

Away. The arrows point to the end of the film.

If the letters in the edge code are in correct order and right side up which means you are looking at the "back side" of the film.

 

[ghelfrich919]

Thanks for the info.

Let me clarify/confirm with you what I think you are telling me. I put all the film together from left to right and place the film so the edge code is readable while looking down at it. When I do this, the edge phrase reads as "<<<Kodak Safety Film" and appears in the lower edge of the film.

It looks something like the diagram below:

left ----------------------------------------------- right
| |
| |
| |
| <<<Kodak Safety Film | <= bottom edge
-----------------------------------------------


Here are my clarifying questions based on above diagram:

1 - The actual picture I should be scanning is on the other side of the film as the readable edge code. In other words, from the diagram above, as edge phrase appears readable from the front from left to right, and the picture is on the back side from the text - yes?

2 - From the diagram above, including your previous info, the arrow points to the end of the film. My interpretation by "end" means the last frame/picture taken and not the first frame/picture taken. Is this a correct interpretation - yes?

Thanks for your help.

Gerry

 

[compur]

yes, yes

 

[ghelfrich919]

Compur,

Thank you very much for your responses. This is very helpful to me and I am grateful for your info. I now know the time sequence for the pictures as well as realizing I had unknowingly been scanning the wrong side of the film in many cases. Thanks

Gerry

 

[compur]

You're welcome. With film the dull side is the image side. The shiny side is the back.