Nitrate film refers to thin, flexible, transparent plastics made from cellulose nitrate to which an emulsion of light sensitive chemicals and gelatine is applied. The discovery of cellulose nitrate plastics in the late 19th century led to the development of photographic roll film, first manufactured by the Eastman Company (later Eastman Kodak) from 1889.
Owing to its hazardous properties and the availability of alternative film bases, such as cellulose acetate, the production of nitrate film by most manufacturers ended in the early 1950s.