Film Wallets
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As snapshot photography became more popular,  people began to take their film to photo finishers for developing and printing rather than sending it away to Kodak or doing it themselves. Film wallets were the most popular receptacle for delivering and storing prints and negatives.

These envelopes often sported ads and the Kodak Girl in her distinctive striped dress graced many a cover along with the name and address of the shop. Some designs were drawn and printed locally while others apparently were issued by Eastman Kodak.  I have wallets with similar designs  from New York, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Belfast, Melbourne, and even Columbo, Ceylon.

An interesting benefit of collecting film wallets is that they often still contain their original prints and negatives.  It's a poignant mystery how and why these very personal documents became separated from the families whose  lives inspired their creation.
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