Gratispool II

marketed since 1968 until 197?

silent super 8 cartridge

color reversal film

film speed: 40 ASA (17 DIN)

color temperature: 3400º K

film type: A, photo lamp balanced

film width: 8 mm

film length: 15.24 m (50 feet)

perforation: type S

base: cellulose acetate, safety film

laboratory process: K12

weight: 60 g

dimensions: 24 x 70 x 75 mm

made in United Kingdom by Gratispool

• movie film reformatted from Dinachrome film (made by Dynacolor Corporation, New York)

• In 1961, the Gratispool Co Ltd acquired sole rights for the supply and processing of Dynachrome colour transparency film in the UK and rebranded it 'Gratispool'. The US Dynacolor Corporation (Rochester, New York) first marketed Dynachrome (unusually, a non-substractive reversal film, as is Kodachrome) in the USA from 1959 (previously the company had marketed a film called Dynacolor from 1949). Dynachrome shared the same K11 Kodak developing process as the early Kodachrome. In April 1964, the Gratispool Co Ltd introduced their Gratispool II colour transparency film, an improved version of the previous Dynachrome. The name Gratispool II was posssibly inspired by the earlier upgrading of Kodachrome to Kodachrome II (which first arrived around 1962 in the UK). Whether Gratispool Co Ltd then introduced the new K12 process (as used for Kodachrome II) is unknown. Gratispool II was available in 8 mm 25ft length double run movie film, balanced either for outdoor lighting (as Type D, rated at 25 ASA) or for artificial lighting indoors (as Type A, rated at 40 ASA). In 1968, Gratispool II was available in Super 8 mm film, balanced for indoor ligthting as the Kodachrome II. [Extracts on Gratispool from http://www.photomemorabilia.co.uk/Gratispool.htm]