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Soviet Image Editing Tool From 1987

Posted by timothy on from the airbrushing-is-so-stalinist-1940s dept.

nacturation writes "Three years before Photoshop 1.0 was released, computer engineers in the USSR were already retouching photographs using some surprisingly advanced technology. A video shows how the Soviets went about restoring damaged images with the help of rotary scanners, magnetic tape, and trackballs. No word on whether this technology was used to fake moon landings or put missiles in Cuba." Photo manipulation in the USSR (and elsewhere) had a pretty good jump on computers, though.

13 of 146 comments (clear)

  1. I would have been more impressed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    But they were doing this stuff with deluxe paint on an Amiga in 1985.

  2. Re:I would assume the Chinese had the lead in that by Nidi62 · · Score: 4, Funny

    So THAT is how Kim Jong Il was able to be the doctor doing the delivery at his own birth!

    --
    The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
  3. "Damaged" images. by Geoffrey.landis · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And they used it for "restoring damaged images". Yeah. Sure.

    Images that were "damaged," for example, by having Trotsky in them.

    --
    http://www.geoffreylandis.com
  4. Re:[Insert Obligatory Soviet Russia Joke Here] by Nidi62 · · Score: 4, Funny

    In Soviet Russia the team takes one for you?

    --
    The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
  5. the real story by mschaffer · · Score: 5, Funny

    The real story is that the Soviets had clip art collections that made their job easier. This was years before clip-art was widely used in the West.
    People doctoring photos could choose from the "Still Popular Heroes of the Bolshevik Revolution" as well as "Accepted Images of our Beloved Leaders: Lenin through Gorbachev".
    What was little known at the time is that if you bought both sets, you would also get a free set "Communist Leaders of the world". This set had flattering pictures of Chaiman Mao, Fidel Castro, and Che Guevera.

  6. from comments there by JustFisher · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's not Soviet , it's French ! It's a PERICOLOR-1000 system with a software translated to Russian. They used to buy hardware and software in the West and change it a bit(translate) and present it as one developed internally in some scientific institute. Here is the discussion in Russian: http://habrahabr.ru/blogs/history/107465/

  7. Re:I would assume the Chinese had the lead in that by MrEricSir · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Chinese have the lead in a lot of things. And cadmium as well.

    --
    There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
  8. In fact it is French PERICOLOR-1000 Software by Elixon · · Score: 5, Informative

    One of the Russian comments points out that the software is in fact French PERICOLOR-1000 translated to Russian.

    --
    Well, I've got to get back to work. When I stop rowing, the slave ship just goes in circles.
    1. Re:In fact it is French PERICOLOR-1000 Software by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      It went both ways. I know a guy who worked on spy satellites for the Americans during that era. In one project, the contractor required a metal plate to be drilled with zillions (technical term) of microscopic holes. For what usage, I don't know and he won't say. What he will say is that the technology to drill the holes wasn't available in the United States. So they shipped the plate to a Russian firm who had a laser driller with the required capability, of course shunting it through dozens of shell corporations, third world countries, and who knows what else. The Russian took the plate and drilled it, then sent it back through the same convoluted path to the Americans, who then took it, installed it in their satellite and proceeded to use it to spy on the Russians. Good times.

    2. Re:In fact it is French PERICOLOR-1000 Software by ObsessiveMathsFreak · · Score: 5, Funny

      Didn't the Russians pretty much steal everything computer-related from the Western countries at that time?

      Well we stole Tetris and made billions on it, so it all worked out in the end.

      --
      May the Maths Be with you!
  9. What about Quantel? by gilesjuk · · Score: 4, Informative

    Quantel Paintbox beats them both, it was first launched in 1981!

    Quantel sued two companies, one of them being Adobe but didn't win the Adobe case, largely due to the existance of Superpaint, who's author testified in the case.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantel_Paintbox
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superpaint

  10. Collect 'em all! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Before they collect you.

  11. Re:BT, DT by the_womble · · Score: 4, Funny

    I don't believe it. Next you will try to tell me that Microsoft did not invent spreadsheets word-processors and windowing OSes.