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May 1942. "Arlington, Virginia. Auto refinishing plant. Mechanical paint mixer." 4x5 inch acetate negative by John Collier for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Mattos was a longtime DC area supplier of automotive paint and body shop supplies, no longer in business. I went to high school with John Mattos.
This picture was just begging to be digitally color enhanced, 80 years later!
In spite of all the clutter, the paint shop is pretty darn clean, especially the area where he mixes the colors. You'd think there would be more paint spatter caused by the mixer on and around the stand it sits on. I'm sure the fellow is familiar with linseed oil soaked rags and spontaneous combustion, so I'm guessing the rags on the floor aren't dripping in oil ... and the ones on the shelf are probably clean. I wonder if they used fans to get fresh air in? I worked at a screen printing shop years ago and if you didn't have doors open, you'd get quite a buzz. I'm guessing the empty can on the floor at the base of the mixer is his ash tray : /
Notice he keeps all of his data in that notebook ... back in 1942, they used to put their notebooks on their laptops.
the colorometer made a science fiction whirling sound before the correct color emerged.
I wonder what they did with the mistakes? Also, I like the cans of tint with the dispenser built in.
Turpentine, paint thinner, paint and lots and lots of oily rags lying around. And not a No Smoking sign in sight.
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