Speeed Graphic and the Hindenburg

External Since: Jan 28, 2005 Posts: 12

In article <NtrPd.17$d%2.2@bignews5.bellsouth.net>, Alecj
<alecj.TakeThisOut@bellsouth.net> wrote:

> Raoul:
>
> For you to compare yourself to Murray Becker (don't know where the "Lloyd"
> came from - mistake?) in the use of a Speed Graphic is absurd. That was
> his profession.
>

What are you talking about? I did no such thing! I simply took a Crown
Graphic and tried to see how fast I could operate it. I couldn't
operate it fast enough to take three pictures of the Hindenburg when it
went down. I then handed the camera to someone else who tried it and
couldn't do it either. That's all I did!

Then, I asked the question: "Anyone know if he used standard holders?"
If he did and wasn't using a Grafmatic or film pack, his photographs
are all the more impressive.

I didn't (couldn't) compare my operation of a Graphic to that of a pro
who used one daily.

Interesting how the example you give of how it was done is different
from that of Hal Buell whom you quote below. Hal Buell was the person
who was in the video I showed. Neither you, I or Hal Buell were there
so maybe no one knows how it was done.

However, Buell is correct: it was a remarkable piece of camera work.

> The Grafmatic had not yet been invented - they had "bag magazines" but they
> were slow to use.
>
> Although not mentioned below, I too have always heard he simply took one
> shot with each holder, then dropped them on the ground to prevent double
> exposures.
>
> Here's some stories:
>
>
> MARTY LEDERHANDLER, AP Photographer: Lloyd Becker who was our chief
> photographer happened to be out at Lakehurst, when this Hindenburg was
> coming in and most photographers waited in the waiting room because the
> Hindenburg had been in before, and it was just another picture of the
> Hindenburg coming down and we had plenty of pictures, but anyway, he decided
> to put up the camera as it was coming in. Just as he held up the camera, it
> exploded and he hit the trigger. He got the first puff of explosion on the
> Hindenburg.
>
> HAL BUELL, Former Photo Editor, AP: Murray Becker was using a Speed Graphic.
> Now a Speed Graphic is a large camera that's held with two hands, and the
> way it operates is this: you put a holder in to the camera, full of film,
> you take out a slide that exposes the film to the shutter, you put the slide
> on the back of the camera, you cock the shutter, and you make the picture.
> Now you have to take the slide back out, you have to put it in the holder,
> you take out the holder, you turn the holder over because there's a film on
> the other side, you put it in the camera, you pull the slide, you put it in
> the back, you cock the shutter, and you make the picture. The Hindenburg
> burned in forty-seven seconds, and Murray did that three times. So there was
> this instant of explosion which Murray photographed, and then as the
> Hindenburg burned in those few seconds, he made two more pictures.
> Remarkable piece of camera work.
>
>
>
>
> "raoul" <gr8raoul.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:100220052042553457%gr8raoul@yahoo.com...
  > > Hi:
  > >
  > > I teach photography and U.S. History at a high school in Washington
  > > State, USA. This week, I had a lesson on photojournalism and, in one
  > > of the videos I used, there was talk of the photography of the
  > > Hindenburg disaster.
  > >
  > > Even casual photographic history fans are familiar with this event,
  > > where the photographer got off four shots in something like 40 seconds
  > > using a Speed Graphic.
  > >
  > > Anyhow, I wanted to show the kids exactly what this entailed so I
  > > brought my Crown Graphic and a couple of holders to give a
  > > demonstration. Now, I basically take landscape shots so I don't have
  > > much experience in handling a Crown Graphic quickly but, even with some
  > > embarrassing fumbling and jamming the slide, I got the four shots off
  > > in about 90 seconds. I let a couple of kids give it a try and one of
  > > the kids did it in about 70 seconds.
  > >
  > > Now, I'm not saying that the photographer in question did not take
  > > those photos that fast but I'm wondering if he did it with standard
  > > holders. I'm thinking Grafmatic (if they existed in 1937) or film pack.
  > > I could see getting off lots of shots quickly with film pack- pull the
  > > paper, recock shoot and do it again. I could go through all 12 (16?)
  > > shots in the pack fairly quickly.
  > >
  > > So.... Does anyone know if that photographer really used standard film
  > > holders?
  > >
  > > raoul
>
>

External Since: Mar 05, 2004 Posts: 84

"Nicholas O. Lindan" <see.TakeThisOut@sig.com> wrote in message
news:q%2Pd.16696$wK.11150@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> "raoul" <gr8raoul.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com> wrote
>
> Why not? A kid did it stone cold in 70. I'm no maven, though I do
> take 4x5 point-'n-shoots, and I managed 50 seconds.
>
> If I did this for a living, I'd say 40 seconds was slow -- but maybe
> he dropped the holder a few times.

I decided to give it a try with my super graphic+copal shutter'ed lens+lisco
holders, I can do it in 40secs or under no problem but only if I do not
remove the dark slide completely from the holder, you can leave about more
that an inch of dark slide still inside the holder w/o having the darkslide
interfering with the image.

Guillermo