Tag Archives: ad

things go better …

Posted on May 23, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. … with Coke, or so they say. In 1964 Coke used a B&W copy of this advertisement to inform the general public that both Coke and Coca-Cola are the trademarks of the same big company. A camera signified just … Continue reading →

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gizmos and gadgets

Posted on May 8, 2020 by Robert

Toronto, In the 1960s, camera makers fought to gain market share. A fresh idea might be swept up by the competition – or left to linger and die an orphan. Ricoh cameras were made by Riken Optical in Japan. According … Continue reading →

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Rokkin’ lenses

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. By 1963, the Japanese Optical industry was a tsunami roaring across the Western world. No longer viewed as copy cats of German technology, Japan was rightfully recognized as a serious contender for high quality optical products. A December 6, … Continue reading →

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if you can read …

Posted on May 3, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. … you can learn! Or so the American “Famous”schools touted last century.  Famous Artists School and Famous Writers School operated by correspondence on the premise that reading could make you an artist or writer.  In the same spirit, Famous … Continue reading →

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toys for little boys

Posted on April 26, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Sawyers of View-Master fame were justifiably proud of using Kodak products. This link is to a review of the talk we heard on September 20, 2006 by Mary Ann and Wolfgang Sell, members of the NSA and View-Master experts. An advertisement … Continue reading →

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selfies: hope vs. reality

Posted on March 28, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. About 60 years ago, Polaroid advertised that “everyone” used their system to take home photos (i.e. “selfies” – a name coined  just a few years ago). That was hope since the reality was that a very small percentage of … Continue reading →

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cough, cough

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Many companies last century offered deals on non-competing products to expand their market segment. An example was Marlboro cigarettes and Kodak (in the days before the link between cigarettes and lung cancer/heart disease was legally confirmed and tobacco products … Continue reading →

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film savings nearly 60 years ago

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. My good friend George Dunbar is a fabulous source of suggestions and inspirations as he pursues photographic history as reflected in magazine advertisements last century. Today’s item stems from George’s email a few days back showing a collaboration between … Continue reading →

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wishful thinking …

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. When Edwin Land announced the famous Polaroid Land system a few years after the war, dealers had difficulty keeping the “picture-in-a-minute” cameras and film in stock.  By the time this ad showed up, the Polaroid system was down to … Continue reading →

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snap, snap. snap, snapshot

Posted on February 25, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Post World War 2, American photography companies worked hard to capture a segment of the amateur photography market. The most popular strategies were flash (for night and indoor shots), Colour (for realism), fast results (seeing how a shot turned … Continue reading →

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