IAN DENIS WRATTEN CBE BSC Hon FRPS Hon FBIPP Hon FBKS

Denis Wratten’s father, Sidney, was the inventor of the famous Wratten filters that became standard in photography for light and colour control.

Educated in England, Denis was sent to Kodak in Rochester, New York, where he was placed in the research laboratories and worked on what was the new 16mm Cine-Kodak Reversal process (ca. 1930’s). Before returning to the UK, he was responsible for setting up Kodak 16mm process laboratories around the world.

He took a close interest in the British Kinematograph Society and became its President from 1946 to 1948 and was also elected a Fellow of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers.

Denis was appointed director of Kodak Ltd in 1952 and became deputy chairman in 1957, an office which he filled until his retirement in 1969. During his tenure he was a regular visitor to the film studios during the early days and was always ‘ready with helpful advice and information’ (FA Young OBE BSC).

He was an active council member of the Royal Photographic Society and served as its President from 1951 to 1953 and was the only person to date to be president of both the BKS (now BKSTS) and the RPS eventually becoming an Honorary Fellow.

Amongst his wide-ranging interests he was President of the British Photographic Manufacturers Association, a member of the National Film Archive and a Governor of the London School of Film Technique.

In 1954 he was awarded the CBE.

 

THE ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY/FA Young/Phil Méheux