HIDDEN GEM: EXPLORING OLD PHOTOGRAPH DEVELOPMENT ROOM

ANGELA WATERMAN, TRUMPET GUEST WRITER

This old, forgotten location is no longer used by students or faculty but it still serves as a unique part of the history of Wartburg College. Located in the basement of the McElroy Center, there are two photograph development rooms. The rooms are no longer needed to produce high-quality photographs due to the progression of digital cameras.

The first room is a darkroom that is accessible only through a tube-shaped revolving door. In the small space behind the revolving door, there are photography developing chemicals and materials needed to produce the photographs. The second development room is directly next to the darkroom.

Among empty cardboard boxes, there are red lights, photo films, a large darkroom sink, strings with paper clips used to hang photos to dry and other complex photo developing equipment.