Tag Archives: ad

they’re coming, they’re coming

Posted on May 25, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. Not the Russians like the old movie title, but the Japanese camera makers. Until after the Korean War in the early 1950s, the Japanese industry made little inroads in the west. This changed when Americans discovered the Nikon F … Continue reading →

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pictures on the spot

Posted on April 27, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. In the last half of the last century, photography had a number of goals for improvement for amateurs. Three come to mind: Faster media, so pictures could be taken indoors or at night; colour at lower cost; and faster … Continue reading →

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stereo, stereo, everywhere

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. In the mid 1950s stereo was popular again. Graphic, to find a niche, set its marketeers loose. The high end camera spot was taken by the pricy Realist so the marketing folk at Graphic aimed at the low end … Continue reading →

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the power of marketing (Argus C-four)

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. In the 1950s Argus attempted to introduce a camera model to join its famous brick (C-3). The C-four was touted as being as good as most (German) cameras, even those of much higher cost. The C-four was made throughout … Continue reading →

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Bolex joins the game

Posted on February 4, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. After the world-wide 1929 stock market crash ushered in the great depression, many small companies failed. BOL SA, founded by Jacques Bogopolsky, was one of them. A Swiss company, it made cameras for cine. Paillard SA made watch parts, … Continue reading →

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An Ansco under the tree meant heaven above …

Posted on January 28, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. After the war, every camera maker seemed to jump on the minicam (35mm) bandwagon. Many quickly adopted the standard of a leaf shutter, none interchangeable but focusing 45mm lens, and perhaps flash synchronization. Usually rangefinders and faster lenses were … Continue reading →

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all that glitters

Posted on October 28, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. Kodak was fond of using medals for various reasons, so we saw nothing unusual when a LIFE ad the spring of 1953  (pp68-69) used such a medallion to announce the 65th anniversary show of Kodak snapshot cameras (the first … Continue reading →

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Ansco camera ad in 1953

Posted on October 23, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. Ah! Ansco. This ad appeared in 1953, about 25 years before Ansco became GAF (it was a subsidiary of GAF since 1939).  Never strong up here, one bought Ansco to avoid the leader of good inexpensive cameras – Kodak. … Continue reading →

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Christmas ad for a Leica c1950

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. Some time  back I did a post on Leitz finally getting  internal flash sync in their cameras. George Dunbar came across this LIFE ad in their November 27, 1950 issue suggesting the new Leica IIIf and a Leitz flash … Continue reading →

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would you rather a Kodak 35 to a wet plate camera?

Posted on June 12, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. In late October, 1950, LIFE magazine ran an ad for Seagram’s American version of  Gin called Ancient Bottle Gin. To promote it as a modern drink, the ad suggested you would more likely prefer a snappy modern Kodak 35 … Continue reading →

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