Date of use : 1943, Panama
Kodak Panama Postal Card to Colonel C.R. England
This postcard issued by the Republic of Panama represents a noteworthy document illustrating the functioning of Kodak's international film processing network. The card was sent from Panama to an American naval installation located in the Panama Canal Zone, an area that was under the influence and administration of the United States during much of the twentieth century. The recipient of the card is identified as an officer of the United States Navy, which reflects the presence of American military personnel stationed in the Canal Zone. As such, the document provides a small but meaningful historical example of how photographic technology circulated within global networks during this period.
The printed text on the reverse side of the card constitutes a notification issued by "Kodak Panama, Ltd." According to the message, the recipient's Kodachrome film, which had been sent to Rochester for processing via air–rail express transport, had been returned after development. Rochester, New York, was the headquarters of the Eastman Kodak Company and one of the principal centers for photographic film processing during the twentieth century. Kodachrome film, introduced in the 1930s, became one of the most widely used color film formats among both professional photographers and amateur users. Because the development of Kodachrome required a technically complex chemical process, exposed film was typically sent to specialized Kodak laboratories rather than processed locally.
The notice printed on the card informs the recipient that the development process has been completed and that the processed film can be collected from the company's store. The message also indicates that the transportation costs associated with sending and returning the film were to be paid upon delivery. This detail highlights how the international transportation and processing of photographic film operated within a structured commercial service network that connected photographers and consumers across different regions of the world.
Record Information
Title: Kodak Panama Postal Card to Colonel C.R. England
Category: Photographic Industry History / Film Processing Services
Subcategory: International Service Networks / Military Correspondence
Country: Panama (Sender: Panama City) → Panama Canal Zone (Recipient: Coco Solo Naval Air Station)
🗺️ Show Route
City: Panama City (Sender: Kodak Panama, Ltd.) → Coco Solo Naval Air Station, Panama Canal Zone (Recipient: Colonel C.R. England, U.S. Navy)
Date of use: 1943
Company (Sender): Kodak Panama, Ltd. Local subsidiary of Eastman Kodak Company, managing film processing and distribution services in Panama.
Recipient: Colonel C.R. England, U.S. Navy, Coco Solo Naval Air Station, Panama Canal Zone. Likely a customer who sent Kodachrome film to Rochester for processing.
Object Type: Postal notification card (commercial service notice)
Service Route ✈️🚂: Panama City → Rochester, NY → Panama City (Film processing round trip via air-rail express) (Estimated Route)
Estimated Travel Time: Approximately 1-2 weeks (round trip air-rail express)
Service Context: Notification that Kodachrome film sent to Rochester, NY, for processing via air-rail express had been returned and was ready for collection at Kodak Panama's store. Transportation costs to be paid upon delivery.
Language: English
Material: Card stock
Dimensions: Standard postcard format
Collection Theme: Kodak Panama, Eastman Kodak, Kodachrome film, Rochester NY, film processing services, WWII-era photography, Panama Canal Zone, U.S. Navy personnel, Coco Solo, international service networks, air-rail express, 1940s color photography, commercial postal history.
Archival Significance: This 1943 notification card documents Kodak's international film processing network, illustrating how Kodachrome users in Panama accessed specialized laboratory services in Rochester during World War II.
Research Note:
This article is based on historical research and independent analysis of the material in the author's collection. The text has been prepared as an original interpretative study and does not reproduce copyrighted material.
This item is documented as part of the Photography in Postal History research project.
For research context, see the Research Methodology.
For academic reference, please refer to How to Cite This Archive.
For research context, see the Research Methodology.
For academic reference, please refer to How to Cite This Archive.
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