Historical Photo of the Month - April 2005

JPL Photo Lab, 1943
Photograph Number JB-76

The JPL Photolab dates back to 1941, when it was first established by GALCIT Project No. 1, as JPL was then known. George Emmerson, the first phototographer, recorded data during testing of propellants, rockets, and jet-assisted take-off units, and documented other JPL activities and facilities. The image above, taken in 1943, shows the small darkroom that was used to process all the images taken by Emmerson and his growing staff. Over the years, they expanded the operation to include both still and moving images, updating their equipment to provide a wider range of services and products. By the 1970s, millions of images were produced each year for imaging teams, mission Principal Investigators, the press, and Regional Planetary Image Facilities around the world.

A major transformation took place, beginning in 1995, that changed the JPL Photolab from analog (chemically based) to a full service digital photographic imaging facility. Systems used in the capture, reproduction and distribution of images at JPL were replaced. The new digital systems have improved response time, reduced facilities requirements for space, eliminated large distribution requirements of hard copy, and eliminated chemical processing. [A link to the JPL Photolab web site is available only to internal computers.]

For more information about the Photolab, see an article in the April 1956 issue of Lab-Oratory. For more information about the history of JPL, contact the JPL Archives.

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