Get naked, but it’s gonna cost you.

Oct. 2, 1984

Customers of Capitol Development Corp., a one-hour photo shop (remember those?) were curious in the autumn of 1984 to find a sign posted advising patrons that there was an extra charge for the development of nude pictures. This begged the question: Does it cost more to develop a shot of a nude person than, say, a photo of a tree? Ah, it seems it’s all about additional personal service.

Style reported in its Oct. 2, 1984, issue that many customers didn’t want other people to see their personal shots as they came out of the processor and fell into a tray. “Consequently, the clerk must stand in front of the dryer and grab them as soon as they come through,” a source explained. “It’s a nuisance” — so the extra fee was charged to discourage people from bringing nude film into the shop to be developed.

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