When it comes to photography, there is an ever-growing library of photos from various times and places that are just growing as time goes on. Older images, on the other hand, are becoming increasingly scarce, as we all know. To say the least, when this photographer discovered an antique vintage camera, he was pleased.
Not Just A Job
Martijn Van Oers is a self-taught Dutch photographer who sees photography as a way of life, not merely a way to make a living or a weekend hobby. Martijn uses photography to express himself, work hard, and tell his narrative.
Not Just A Job
What Did He Find?
He took a deep breath and began unwinding the reel by the light of the red lamp. It only needed one bad move to ruin the negatives, he realized. His hands trembled as he shook the tank.
What Did He Find?
The Spooky Outline
At the time, there was nothing else to do but wait. When the moment came, he unspooled the reel once more. He hadn’t counted on the thin outline trembling him from head to toe.
The Spooky Outline
An Obsession
Martijn van Oers, a Dutch photographer, has been captivated by photography since he was a child. Vintage photographs fascinated him in particular. His preferences were those with a dark or terrifying undertone.
An Obsession
A Worried Mother
He could not have asked for a better present for his 12th birthday than his first camera. On the other side, his mother was anxious. Was she right about her views about her son?
A Worried Mother
His Morbid Pastime
Martijn was not like the other kids his age. He detested spending time with his pals or partaking in things that were considered customary. Instead, he opted to be alone.
His Morbid Pastime
Quite The Loner
He would roam the streets of Breda, looking for and photographing abandoned buildings. His mother was concerned since his obsession with the macabre grew over time.
Quite The Loner
His Talent
He uses Instagram to express himself, and his posts demonstrate his natural talent. This man’s capabilities are undeniable. He attempts to convey emotion through his images and is always looking for new photo chances.
His Talent
A Dark Side
Martijn’s room was covered in photographs he had collected since he was a teenager. From top to bottom, the photos covered the entire wall. However, they were not “happy snaps,” as his mother put it…
A Dark Side
Thrift Store Frequenter
They were instead images of their town’s darker side. He took some of the photos himself, but he also found a few in secondhand stores. Later in adulthood, he couldn’t resist purchasing an old camera from an antique shop.
Thrift Store Frequenter
One Sunny Day
He went for a walk through Breda’s streets on an ordinary day, capturing some new images. While traveling across town, he came into an antique store that attracted his curiosity.
A Sunny Day
Lured In
This happened on a fateful morning in 2017. Martijn was strolling across town when his footsteps took him to a nearby secondhand store. He was never one to turn down the chance to get his hands on some vintage photos.
Lured In
A Quick Peek
He needed to save time, so he told himself he’d just look around the store for a few minutes. Nothing particularly odd struck his eye as he perused the shelves… till this happened.
A Quick Peek
The Antique Camera
On the lowest shelf, he discovered an ancient camera! It wasn’t just any camera, either; it was a Zeiss Ikon 520/2. After a closer look, he was pleasantly surprised to see that it was in fantastic shape.
The Antique Camera
Jackpot
The camera was invented by Dr. August Nagel and manufactured by Zeiss Ikon in Germany. The 520/2 is a one-of-a-kind camera that uses 120-roll film and a vintage Tessar lens. Any photographer, particularly Martijn, would be ecstatic to get anything of this magnitude. It was in fantastic condition.
Jackpot
Lucky Find
It didn’t appear to be a previously owned camera. He recognized how lucky he was to have come across it. It was meant to be the perfect gift for his wife! However, he had no idea that he was bringing home more than just an old camera…
Lucky Find
A Gift For Her
He shared in an interview, “When I came home and gave the camera to my wife as a gift, she was over the moon. After dinner I told her I was considering using the camera to take pictures with since all the mechanics seemed to be in pristine condition.”
A Gift For Her
A Life-Changing Moment
“I normally shoot all my photos with high-end gear. So working with an old-school piece of equipment seemed like a lot of fun.” Martijn had no idea he’d stumbled upon something that would change his life forever…
A Life-Changing Moment
Something Hiding Inside
Excited by the discovery, Martijn began to dissect the inner workings of the ancient camera. He discovered something surprising when he unlocked the device.
Something Hiding Inside
An Undeveloped Roll
“I wanted to see if the camera still worked if everything opened and if the wheels were still turning. To my great surprise, there was a roll…” He had no clue how much of an impact it would have on him, even though he was stunned.
An Undeveloped Roll
Making A Decision
He was well aware that he was about to witness the beginning of a true horror thriller! Was he going to think twice about getting these photos developed? He knew there was no going back once the images were processed.
Making A Decision
Couldn’t Pass It Up
Was he really going to pass up the chance to observe things from the perspective of the previous owner? Martijn had made up his mind that he would figure out the mysteries of this vintage camera no matter what it took.
Couldn’t Pass It Up
Couldn’t Pass It Up
The outdated camera made developing the images on the roll — if there were any — a nightmare, but he had no choice but to try. As a result, he enlisted the help of Johan, a buddy.
Couldn’t Pass It Up
Back In Time
He later discovered that the camera was manufactured in 1929, indicating that the footage was shot sometime between the 1940s and 1970s. He was well aware that it would be difficult, but he was not ready to quit.
Back In Time
Let’s Get To Work
Martijn was welcomed into Johan’s home to begin the process of development in his kitchen. This endeavor would take a long time, but both men recognized it would be worthwhile if the ultimate product was satisfactory.
Let’s Get To Work
Gut Instinct
They had no idea what was on the film when they started this process. If they had exposed the film to light, they would have ruined any chance of developing the photos. Instead, they were left with little choice but to believe in themselves and hope for the best, which they did.
Gut Instinct
Never Ending Wait
This procedure was strenuous. They couldn’t tolerate it any longer since the wait had gotten agonizing. Martijn even got a blow dryer out to help with the speed.
Never Ending Wait
Fritz “The Wolf-Man Of Hanover” Haarmann
You already know how fascinated he was as a child with the macabre. Fritz Haarmann harassed Hanover residents in the 1920s, thus it was only natural for him to be aware of him.
Fritz “The Wolf Man Of Hanover” Haarmann
The Missing Camera
Between 1918 and 1924, a total of 27 children and teenagers went missing. He knew this man owned a camera because he had read his personal journals, which were rare and expensive back then. However, the camera went lost.
The Missing Camera
A Chilling Possibility
Is this the find Martijn made in the antique shop? Given Hanover’s proximity, this wasn’t out of the question. To put it mildly, it was a terrifying prospect.
A Chilling Possibility
What Would He Do?
If that’s the case, the photos might be frightening. Was he going to work on the part knowing that it could go to The Wolf-Man Of Hanover? It’ll only take a little while…
What Would He Do?
Thinking It Through
Before making a decision, Martijn had to thoroughly analyze his possibilities. Should he turn the footage over to the cops? Should he concentrate on them first before moving on? Is he being a little too dramatic?
Thinking It Through
Mystery Awaits
Finally, he had no choice but to develop the roll of film and find out for himself. Martijn is a go-getter who is particularly interested in inexplicable things, so what he did next is only logical.
Mystery Awaits
The Used Film
He carefully scrutinized the film reel once more. The word “EXPOSE” was scribbled on the side. “I assumed it indicated the roll had been exposed and utilized,” Martijn explained. He was well aware that the camera he was holding was an antique.
The Used Film
The Used Film
It was impossible to tell how old the footage was. He started his assignment by looking up information about the movie and its release date. When he found out the date, he got shivers all over.
The Used Film
A Relic Of History
“I found out the camera was built around 1924,” he said. The camera would then be roughly 89 years old! Given the film’s age, none of the photos appeared to have survived the years. What a shame!
A Relic Of History
Bad News
Martijn, on the other hand, decided it was still worth a shot and called his photographer pal Johan Hollerman. Unfortunately, after conversing with Johan, Martijn received some bad news.
Bad News
Not Very Likely
His acquaintance advised him that processing such an old film would be difficult, but Johan consented to try it after Martijn persuaded him. Obviously, the mystery that lay ahead of him sparked his curiosity as well. Did the visuals stand the test of time? It was simply a matter of putting them together.
Not Very Likely
Giving Them Hope
Because film rolls couldn’t be opened or exposed to sunlight, Johan and Martijn couldn’t discern if there were any images worth salvaging right away. They were determined to find out, which is why they awoke on a Tuesday morning in Johan’s darkly lighted kitchen.
Giving Them Hope
All Coming Together
When they completed processing the film, the faint shapes on the photo negatives surprised them. What they were most concerned about today was what they would find in the incredibly old images.
It’s All Coming Together
A Pandora’s Box
Martijn hung the negatives in the shower to dry, then began blow-drying them to see if the images were still intact. Because they had already opened Pandora’s box, they couldn’t close it now. Only waiting and seeing what happened was an option. Once they were dry, it was time to move on to the next step.
A Pandora’s Box
Making History
Martijn was fortunate in that the risk was definitely worth it! The blowdryer had no effect on the image quality, which was fortunate for him. As the film was being processed, the sights became more visible. Right in front of their eyes, history was about to unfold.
Making History
The Photos
After the negatives were totally dry, the men procured a projector to view the images. They were holding four separate photos. They were fuzzy, but they found what the photographer had shot previously.
The Photos
A Ghost From The Past
They came upon a woman who appeared to be a ghost from the past and was glaring them down. In the photo, she was standing near a hilly trail. The two gentlemen were completely absorbed.
A Ghost From The Past
Intrigued
The photographs that followed were remarkably similar to the first. The same woman was captured in the foreground as well. But who exactly was she? What significance did the old photographs they discovered have?
Intrigued
Searching For Answers
The guys were intrigued and gave in to their curiosity. They needed to learn the answers to their questions. The fourth and final shot provided answers to these questions.
Searching For Answers
A Man This Time
Instead, the fourth shot focused on an elderly gentleman. When the photo was taken, he was carrying the camera case over his shoulder. It was determined that this was the woman’s photographer.
A Man This Time
More And More Questions
Finally, the incredible discovery just added to the confusion! They were intrigued as to when and where the images were taken. Martijn was fortunate in that he had a brilliant concept.
More And More Questions
Looking For Answers
Martijn was enthusiastic about discovering the location of these photographs. Martijn sought help on Facebook, and to his amazement, one of his friends answered with an incredible shot…
Looking For Answers
How Far Would They Go?
Maybe this friend was there to help him find answers to his questions. This would help them solve the puzzle. But, in order to pull everything together, how far was he willing to go?
How Far Would They Go?