Nostalgia

This brand new nostalgic picture of the recent “ExScite ladies reunion” at Galit Felix’s house in Raanana Israel.  The surprise of the evening was Elsy Menko (who lives in Holland) visiting Israel.

Shelagh Hammer who sent us the picture wrote:
“We all had a wonderful evening – ending up in tears of laughter as we each recounted how we got hired to Scitex!  Such stories!”.

In the old tradition of Scitex, the picture was “doctored” to add the photographer to the group. Now you tell me- who has been added???- click on the picture to bring the full resolution image.

In the picture From, the left:
Rochele Ephraim, Eta Portnoy, Neta Appel, Ronit Wajsman, Ruti Ran, Elsy Menko, Beth Orshalimy, Tchia Haberman, Ruth Even (Gachtan), Sarale Sassover, Diana Shem-Tov, Gita Tamari, Orly Epstein, Marcelle Havakuk, Galit Felix, Shelagh Hammer and Tami Kimmelman.

Before prepress, before textile, before even imaging- the young start-up Scientific Technology (what later became Scitex Corporation) in Rehovot Israel, developed several laser-based products.
This authentic picture of an optical setup with a 5mw Helium-Neon laser was shot in the optical lab, on the optical bench in 1970.
Note in the background the ancient oscilloscope (worked with vacuum tubes!!!) and the Teletype, which was the only computer terminal (don’t look for CRT terminal, those have been invented at later years….).
The product under development was a laser B&W film scanner, format 4×5″.
If you have pictures of product YOU developed at Scitex- please send me with the background story.

Harry Waldman (*) a former printer and  a respected Scitex customer wrote this article- putting Efi Arazi (Scitex & EFI) in the same category of visionaries as Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple, Pixar) and Chuck Geschke (Adobe).

“…Almost 25 years ago Efi Arazi and his company, Scitex, ushered in a whole new world harnessing the power of the computer to manipulate and color correct images for print. More than a decade before Adobe Photoshop began its reign over image editing, Efi moved our industry into the digital age. I can vividly recall trade show crowds of the early ’80s staring in awe at Scitex terminals as the magic of the digital age unfolded before them.

My company was an early Scitex customer and that’s how I eventually met Efi. It all came about because I insisted that there was a problem with the system architecture. Unlike today’s inexpensive computers armed with a $700 copy of Adobe Photoshop, a Scitex terminal was about $500,000, in addition to all the other stuff that brought the cost of a total system into the millions of dollars. My argument back then was that the terminal was cost-effective to do what we referred to as magic (image manipulation and cloning) because of the high premium you could charge customers for this unique service (at that time)….”

Appeared as Printing Impressions-February 2003 Column
“Redefining Visionaries as Heroes”

(*)Waldman Graphics an early pioneer in electronic pre-press, grew to be one of the premier printers in the Philadelphia-New York City-New Jersey area. The company was a test site for many top software and electronic imaging companies. After selling his company, Harry Waldman is now a consultant in the Graphic Arts industry.
Read the complete article on the Web: http://www.harrywaldman.com/February%2003.html

This picture was sent to us by Peter Havas from the UK. It was taken in the Tel Aviv’s Hard Rock Café. Peter’s trip to Israel was linked to the introduction of the Spontane system.

In the picture from left to right: ? , ?, Bill Young, Jim Buczynski, Peter Havas, ?, Alois Bayer, ?,

Laura DeLaurentis, the Ex-Scitex America (Bedford MA) walked around Graph Expo 2006 in Chicago Il and bumped into people.

She did what every good ExScite should do- SENT US THE PICTURES. See the results in the random set of portraits above.
Upper row from the left: Laura DeLaurentis, Arie Doron, Dominic Veroni, Hugo Flores
Middle row from the left: Joice Conoby, Cohen, Kevin Row, Ganther, Zolotko
Lower row from the left:  Ernie Clarck, Jacob Gur-Arie

Anthony Bellia, the ExScite Response Center Manager of Scitex America sent us this recent picture. The photo was taken on October 3rd by Zvi Jalfin at the monthly Ex-Scitex get together sports bar near the Ex-Scitex America headquarters facility in Bedford, MA. Zvi (always behind the camera) is not included in the image.

Writes Tony: “This picture truly represents what it was like to work with such an outstanding team.  Meeting with this group truly made it feel like we were home again. During this get together, we honored Paul Quandt our fallen Colleague. All Participants took turns reminiscing the best stories and good times that we experienced with Paul.”

From left to right (bottom row, sitting)  Dana Fokos, Joanne Price, Ricardo Trzmielina, Fabio Andrade, Efri Eller, Jim Buczynski, Anthony Bellia

From left to right (top row, standing) Jeannie Rizzo, Rich Thies, Aron Blume, Jay Bergeron, Jose Barbera, Mike Kinnucane, Jeff Rosenbaum, Jim Bourque, Ben Delmonico, Dimitrios Stefanis, Lynne Voytershark, John Ost, Meir Yehezkel, Howard White.

Our member from Singapore- Bruno Serrien  has Emailed this picture to us.
The picture was taken in Israel during Bruno’s last visit. Although it provokes some memories, this EXITE is not ExScite but it ain’t no Exit either?.

This picture was also sent to us by the ExScite Maarten Strack. Go back to the Sep 19 posting at Nostalgia to see additional pictures from the same event.

Maarten had taken the picture using a Leaf camera-back at the 1996 graphic arts show Fugrama  in Belgium. The show included the first body-painting demo and digital photography. To see many more of Maarten’s artistic pictures log into his image website here: www.pbase.com/maartensvs/digityal_1996

The ExScite Maarten Strack sent this picture to us.

Maarten had taken the picture using a Leaf camera-back at the 1996 graphic arts show Fugrama  in Belgium. The show included the first body-painting demo and digital photography. To see many more of Maarten’s artistic pictures log into his image website here: www.pbase.com/maartensvs/digityal_1996

It is with deep sorrow that we have to report the passing of our ExScite Paul Quandt.
Paul died Sunday as the result of injuries sustained earlier in the weekend in a motorcycle accident in Lake Wales, Florida.
Paul, or “Q” as he was known, was a Scitex America service engineer. Soon after he was hired he quickly became indispensable, first as the in-house expert on Cypher tape drives, then later on scanners. He understood not only the mechanics and electronics, but the art and science of color, traveling around the country and around the world, not only to install and repair scanners but to help customers understand how to make the best use of them.
As a skydiver, he achieved many national and international honors. His team most recently won a Gold Medal in an international meet in Russia in August.
You can read about Paul’s skydiving here: Qauntum Leap Grabs Gold
Paul’s picture (above) was submitted by the ExScite (STA) Howard White.  Howard writes: “[this picture of Paul] might be appropriate. I took it many years ago in freefall, and, though not as sharp as it might be, [the picture] conveys his spirit (and has a Scitex touch, see the Scitex cap he is holding)”.