· 1912 – idea about a photopaper factory in Vác, Hungary by Kodak
· 1913 – first buildings of the factory were built (powerhouse, water tower, baryta building and engineer apartment)
· 1914 – the construction stops during the 1st world war
· 1921 – the consturcion continues with 600 workers
· 19 March 1922 – the new Kodak factory starting produce of 7 types of photopaper in Vác, Hungary (1st photocemical plant in the county)
· First tests show these papers made in Hungary has the same quality made in UK
· 17 May 1928 – George Eastman, the founder of Kodak visited the factory in Vác
· 1939 – producing 800.000 m2 photopaper per year with 160 employee
· 6 Sept 1939 – english leadership leave the factory
· April 1944 – the factory was declared a military operation with a german commander
· Rumors say the photos of the air reconnaissance were developing in the factory
· Nov 1944 – the machines, raw materials and finished products were loaded on barges and started to Germany on the Danube
· 4-5 Dec 1944 – british aircrafts bomb the factory, 49 hits, 5 deaths
· Sep 1945 – stolen factory equipments were found in Germany and Czechoslovakia
· 1946 – Kodak started to liquidate the factory
· 30 June 1947 – Kodak Ltd. sold the factory in Vác to Forte Photocemical Industry (owned by Hungarian General Credit Bank)
· 18 June 1947 – the factory started again after the war ruins were cleared
· 10.00 am 16 July 1947 – opening ceremony of Forte Photocemical Industry with 97 employee
· 1949 – the factory was nationalized, new name is Forte Photocemical Industry National Corporation (129 employee)
· Photographic plate production starts
· New film factory building and first film casting experiments
· 1951 – roll film and 35mm film producing starts in the new film casting plant
· 1954 – X-ray film producing begins
· 1955 – producing 1.933 thousands m2 of photopaper and 319 thousands m2 of film per year with 529 employee
· 1957 – as a result of long research work, colorful kino positive film producing begins
· 1958 – 1963 – 1st reconstruction investment (new film casting building, developing the air conditioning system / anti- dust system / drying system, waterworks, new film factory building, quality controll labor)
· The outdoor curved drying track was an unique innovation in the photographic industry
· 1960 – Fortecolor Typ2 colorful photopaper
· 1961 – 1968 – 2nd reconstruction investment (11 floors emulsion plant, casting preparation plant, new baryt plant, new casting building, new preventive maintenance plant and new refrigeration plant)
· 1968 – business connection with more than 50 countries, producing 10 million m2 photopaper and 1 million m2 film per year
· 1977 – production of new C41 process colorful negative films begins
· 1987 – new plastic coated poligrade photopaper production begins
· 1 July 1992 – new name is Forte Photochemistry (100% state property)
· 1994 – the state ownership of the factory extended with managers and employee ownership for 50% + 1 share
· 2004 – the factory is asking for liquidation
· 2005 – new owners, new name is Forteinvest
· Feb 2007 – the new company cancel the photo industry activities
Source: Vác City Archives
Archive photocredits: Vác City Archives / Rudolf Járai @ Hungarian Photography Museum / MTI
cooling tower of forte
Type:
Heller-Forgó air-conditioned cooling system
Story:
· 2 hungarian Kossuth-award winner engineers's (Laszlo Heller / Laszlo Forgo) world famous invention (patent)
· it uses air to cool the factory's condenser water in a closed system without water lossless
· it solved the plant's huge water requirement for cooling
· the prototype released at Budapest International Market in 1957
· first the largest british electricity company (English Electric Company) signed a high amount patent agreement, than China ordered the system as well
I found a 35mm negative film roll on the floor in the emulsion plant (and i scanned it)
Maybe a private memory of an employee from the emulsion plant? If you recognized them please let me know!
Update: We found them! The lady's father was an employee in the photo paper factory! Woww!
All posts >>> https://www.bellonpictures.com/underground
#abandoned #abandonedplaces #abandonedfactory #photopaper #film #photopaperfactory #Kodak #Forte #GeorgeEastman #emulsion #filmcasting #photography #brandofForte #worldfamousForte #rollfilm #35mmfilm #baryt #coolingtower #bellonpictures #storytelling #goldenageofForte #abandonedplant #photochemical #photochemicalindustry #RIPFORTE #missyouFORTE
