Film Holder Provenance for you Military Buffs...

[Scott --]

Hi all -

A year or so ago I bought about a dozen used 4x5 holders off the 'bay. As is typical of such things, they've largely sat in a duffel since then. I got around to pulling some today in hopes of an outing soon. One in particular, a Riteway 1264, had this written in what looks like Wite-Out on the bottom flap:

4750th Air Base Squadron by Scott, on Flickr

A little reading indicates that the 4750th Air Base Squadron was established in the early '50s, and reassigned in 1959/1960.

So I've got to ask - are these plastic Riteway holders actually that old? I guess I've never thought about when the transition from wood to plastic occurred in manufacturing...

Scott

[Chauncey Walden]

Hey kid, 1950 isn't that old!

[reddesert]

https://graflex.org/helpboard/viewtopic.php?p=28032

post #2 suggests (Graflex) Riteway plastic film holder production started in 1950,
and that one might learn more about this history by studying a full set of editions of "Graphic Graflex Photography," maybe. Perhaps searching patents would also help.