Kodachrome rolls into history

LOS ANGELES - The last lab in the world to develop Kodachrome film closed its doors Thursday as the iconic colour slide film fell victim to the advantages offered by digital cameras.

Dwayne’s Photo in Parsons, Kansas stopped accepting film at noon local time (1600 GMT). Beforehand it was swamped with deliveries from enthusiasts of the film who wanted to get their rolls in prior to the deadline. According to ABC News, one woman flew in from England to personally hand in her film.

Kodak stopped making the film in 2009, and Dwayne’s was the last lab to still develop the film, which was famous for its vivid colours and a favourite of professionals and amateur photographers alike for some 75 years.

Kodak gave the last roll of Kodachrome to photographer Steve McCurry, whose 1985 portrait of a green-eyed Afghan girl on the cover of National Geographic Magazine is one of the most famous images of recent decades.