The History and Development of Agfa: From Dyes and Pigments to a Leader in Printing Solutions

The History of Agfa: From Chemical Innovations to Photography and Beyond

Agfa was founded in 1867 in Berlin by chemist Paul Mendelssohn Bartholdy, son of the famous composer Felix Mendelssohn (the one who composed the wedding march), and Karl Alexander von Martius, under the name Gesellschaft für Anilinfabrikation GmbH. The company initially focused on the production of dyes and pigments. In early 1872, it merged with Chemische Fabrik Dr. Jordan from the Berlin district of Treptow.

On July 21, 1873, the company was transformed into a joint-stock company named Actien-Gesellschaft für Anilin-Fabrikation. (AGFA is an abbreviation derived from this phrase). This lengthy name translates to "Joint-Stock Company for the Manufacture of Aniline." Aniline is a substance still used in the production of dyes for fabrics and other materials. The main colors were blue and red in various shades, with green dye appearing in 1877. The AGFA trademark was introduced on April 15, 1897, and the company is known by this name to this day.

In 1882, Agfa established its own scientific laboratory. In January 1887, Dr. Momme Andresen, a chemist with a passion for amateur photography and a good understanding of chemical processes, joined the company. Under his guidance, Agfa significantly expanded its activities into the development of light-sensitive materials and the production of photographic chemicals. In 1897, the production of the Rodinal developer began, which is still used by many photography enthusiasts. Rodinal was sold as a liquid concentrate that needed only to be diluted, whereas previously, reagents were sold as powders that had to be mixed manually.

Due to severe air pollution in Berlin, Agfa relocated its photographic production. On March 17, 1896, a new aniline and dye factory opened in Greppin—where cheap coal and labor were available. 25.2 acres of land were purchased adjacent to the existing factory. The factory started operating in July 1910. It became the second-largest manufacturer of photographic products in the world (after the Eastman Kodak factory in Rochester) and the largest in Europe. Greppin fell under the jurisdiction of the city of Wolfen, so the factory was named AGFA Wolfen. However, the quality of Agfa's photographic films, as well as the quality of the early photographic plates, was lacking, leading to a temporary halt in film production in 1905.

Film production, however, proved to be more successful. The main problem was the flammability of the film in a working projector. In 1908, AGFA developed a film base that did not catch fire. A year later, the production of safe film was established. In 1909, AGFA began working with color photography technology.

During World War I, the company produced photographic plates for X-ray machines, photographic film for aerial photography, filters, and components for gas masks. At the beginning of the war, the number of workers at the Greppin factory decreased from 504 to 335, but by the end of the war, it had risen to 1,000.

In 1916, AGFA released its first color slide film. However, the technology was imperfect: exposure required too much time—80 times longer than for existing black-and-white films. By 1923, the company’s new technology required 30 times more exposure time. With this technology, Agfa entered the market.

In 1896, a certain Alexander Henry Rietzschel, who worked as a mechanic and optician at Carl Zeiss, founded his optical company. The company produced the Linear 4.5 lens and began manufacturing the Clack camera in 1900. Sales of the camera went well, but by the start of World War I, the company began facing financial difficulties due to the lack of military orders. By March 1, 1921, Bayer acquired initially 80% and later 100% of Rietzschel's company's shares.

From 1925, AGFA, along with several companies, became part of Germany's largest chemical conglomerate—Bayer Corporation. As a result of intensive asset exchanges, AGFA acquired a chemical factory in Munich and a photographic paper factory in Leverkusen from BASF, which had been built by the corporation in 1912. The factory was officially transferred to AGFA in 1952. In 1928, AGFA acquired the American company Ansco Photo Products Inc., but in 1941, the US authorities confiscated this acquisition.

In 1928, the first camera with roll film was released, and in 1937, the first 8mm movie camera. The AGFA Camerawerk München division operated under the slogan "Everything from one source" (reminds you of a certain well-known Apple company, doesn’t it?). The company produced a full range of products for photography: cameras, film, chemicals, exposure meters, and other photographic equipment.

In 1932, the Agfacolor trademark was registered, and by 1936, mass production of high-sensitivity Agfacolor Ultra color plates began. In November of the same year, Agfa introduced a film with three color layers. Three years later, the company released color negative film, leaving its slide film technology imperfect. In 1942, Agfa introduced color photo printing technology.

After World War II, Agfa's factories were located in different occupation zones. AGFA CameraWerk in Munich was under US influence, the photographic paper factory in Leverkusen was under British control, and the first factory in Greppin was in the Soviet zone. On April 18, 1952, the company AGFA AG für Photofabrikation was established in Leverkusen. However, for another year, the Allies controlled camera production. In 1957, the companies merged into AGFA AG Leverkusen.

In 1956, an agreement was made between East German AGFA Wolfen and West German AGFA regarding the use of the AGFA trademark. AGFA Wolfen sold its products in Soviet bloc countries, while West German AGFA Wolfen sold in other countries, except Yugoslavia and France. The agreement lasted until 1964. In 1964, AGFA Wolfen began producing products under the ORWO trademark, which stood for Original Wolfen.

In the early 1960s, the era of company mergers began. In 1952, Agfa AG acquired UCA—Vereinigte Elektro-Optische Werke GmbH, which produced scale and reflex cameras. In 1962, the camera manufacturer Iloca-Witt from Hamburg was acquired. In 1959, the company acquired the shutter and exposure meter manufacturer Fabrique d’Horologie La Vedette SA (Alsace). By 1964, the company Perutz Photowerke from Munich, which was founded in 1880 and produced cameras, was fully acquired. Chemical companies Koepff & Söhne, Mimosa, and Leonar-Werke were also acquired.

In 1959, the first automatic camera was released, and seven years later, the rapid film loading system "Rapid" was introduced. A dedicated department, Studio Schlagheck Schultes Design, worked on the camera design. The fully automatic 35mm film camera AGFA Optima became a real "hit": from 1959 to 1962, sales of this model reached 1 million units. Unfortunately, the corporation could not withstand the competition in the camera market, and in 1982, a decision was made to cease camera production and sales.

In 1964, AGFA and Gevaert merged economically, forming the AGFA-Gevaert Group, with separate German and Belgian parts. The company is still known by this name today.

In 1981, the pharmaceutical giant Bayer AG acquired 100% of AGFA-Gevaert’s shares, which later resulted in the formation of a separate entity, AgfaPhoto GmbH.

On June 1, 1999, AGFA-Gevaert separated from Bayer AG and became an independent company, with its shares listed on the Brussels and Frankfurt stock exchanges.

At the beginning of the third millennium, AGFA-Gevaert had several business units: AgfaPhoto, Agfa Materials, Agfa Healthcare, and Agfa Graphics.

At the end of 2004, Agfa-Gevaert N.V. sold its AgfaPhoto GmbH business, which had been formed to protect against bankruptcy. AgfaPhoto specialized in the production of photographic film, light-sensitive photographic paper, laboratory equipment, and consumables for color photo printing. In early November 2004, it was agreed to be acquired by a group of investors for €175.5 million. Poor financial performance was cited as a major reason for the sale of AgfaPhoto.

The company Minilab Factory GmbH (Dresden, Germany) acquired the mini-laboratory manufacturing business from Agfa Photo GmbH and, in February 2006, resumed the production of mini-laboratories under the d-lab and image boxes lines. The company Plawa-feinwerktechnik GmbH & Co, which successfully distributes Polaroid digital cameras across Europe, received exclusive rights from AgfaPhoto Holding GmbH, which is currently in liquidation, to produce new digital cameras under the AgfaPhoto brand.

By the end of 2009, Agfa-Gevaert had moved past the business downturn caused by the global economic recession and fully resumed its growth through new acquisitions and establishing new partnerships. Today, the AGFA-Gevaert group specializes in the development, production, and supply of analog and digital B2B solutions for image creation, processing, and reproduction.

One of AGFA Graphics' divisions is one of the largest suppliers of printing plates and comprehensive solutions