another brick in the wall

Argus C3 (the Brick) ad in LIFE.

Toronto. After the war, in the late 1940s – 1950s, the USA tried to capture market share in cameras from the German industry. The result was print ads like you see here from the October 26, 1953 issue of LIFE magazine (p110). The ads touted American cameras as able to match German models for half the cost or less.

Then the Japanese onslaught hit offering cameras at cheap prices plus quality approaching the German industry. As a result, American cameras disappeared. Like the Leonard Cohen song says, “[they] sank beneath your wisdom like a stone”(the church called Our Lady of the Harbour in this song is real and I have been on its roof). A half century later, and print advertising began to suffer a similar fate, this time from the digital tsunami.

Meantime, enjoy this nostalgic ad for the Argus C3 and its auxiliary lenses. The C3 of course was fondly known as the Brick… A big thanks to George Dunbar for suggesting this ad in LIFE magazine.

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