January 17, 2023
Ned Scott initials in negative tags appeared on Columbia Studios film stills during years when he served as a contract employee with the studio. Ned Scott insisted on this process. There were a number of good reasons why such an identification technique was needed at Columbia. Two major departments at the studio took part in the development and branding of the images Ned Scott and his colleagues created during photographic assignment. One of these was the photo laboratory. There technicians developed the exposed film into a negative. Before printing the negative, these specialists scratched identifying markings into the negative. These markings normally included the Columbia copyright symbol, the film code, and other identifying information such as the star’s name. Often the technicians placed Ned Scott’s initials at the end of the negative tag. Finally, the lab produced a proof printing of the image.
It was the publicity department which next received the print for branding purposes. It was here that a brief description of the print’s subject matter was added on the verso of the print. Finally, the publicity personnel added a Columbia credit and photographer’s name stamp. It was not unusual, however, for the photographer’s credit to reflect the name of a different photographer despite the obvious presence of Ned Scott initials in negative tags. Ned Scott had developed friendships with technicians in the photo lab at Columbia. He approached them with the mistaken credits problem, and the solution to add his initials to the tag began.
Photographed at home in 1948 while Rita was filming The Lady from Shanghai, Ned Scott captures Rita in a relaxed moment with her dog. Ned Scott’s initials in the negative tag can be clearly seen. This image is not the only one like it located. There are many others with Ned Scott initials in negative tags.