# Old Film -- Processing?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-film-processing/31809>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 2, 2000, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-film-processing/31809 "2000-09-02T21:42:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2000, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-film-processing/31809/1 "2000-09-02T21:42:01Z")

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I’ve recently acquired some 50’ “gun camera” cartridges that I plan to use in my gun camera. Four of the cartridges have exposed film in them. Some of the cartridges were in the original boxes and were postmarked 1947 – half-a-century ago!

I have no idea how they were stored, but since they come from an antique dealer I must assume they were kept on top of a furnace or something.

Question: Is there any possibility that this probably b&w film can be developed? I got the carts so that they can be used, but it would be really neat if I could get  
some images off fo their old loads!

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2000, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-film-processing/31809/2 "2000-09-02T22:57:00Z")

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Those would be way past ripe. You know that date on a box of film? Thats the date its ripe, thats right, the best pictures occur right near that date. Fat chance anything would be on it 50 years later but you could search the net for ‘Old Film Processing’

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**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2000, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-film-processing/31809/3 "2000-09-03T00:53:54Z")

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If you are talking of developing very old B&W film I would contact Kodak. They have developed older film that came out OK but it depends mostly on how it was stored. I would not take it to a regular lab.