Tag Archives: American

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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when is a Bolsey not a Bolsey?

Posted on April 25, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. When it is an Alpa or Bolex, of course! Jaques Bogopolsky was the camera designer for Paillard, a Swiss company  after they bought out his company, BOL SA. Jaques was born in the Ukraine and went by various names … Continue reading →

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a head for news

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. In the 1950s TV was rapidly taking hold as a source for daily news (not the mess of so called “entertainment” we see today amongst the plethora of commercials). Newsreels of the day were shot on film in clips, … Continue reading →

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Another great photographer – Margaret Bourke-White

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. One of the attractions of the Chrysler skyscraper in the Big Apple was access to its gargoyles for a spectacular view of New York City. The Chrysler Building was for a brief 11 months the tallest building in the … Continue reading →

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George Tice Exhibition

Posted on March 15, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. “George TICE (1938-) is one of the most important photographer of his generation. He is world famous for his black and white photos representing the American culture, urban and rural landscapes. His work is shown in more than a hundred museums and institutions … Continue reading →

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all the news that’s FAKE to print …

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. It is often thought that manipulation of photographs only happened after Photoshop and its ilk arrived on the scene. However, decades before Photoshop, a savvy darkroom expert could seamlessly blend or otherwise manipulate two or more negatives or prints … Continue reading →

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David Douglas Duncan 1916 – 2018

Posted on June 10, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. George Dunbar dropped me a line the other day noting that the Guardian had announced the death of the famous American war photo-journalist David Douglas Duncan in France were he had lived since the 1960s. Duncan was one of last of … Continue reading →

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American girl in Italy 1951

Posted on May 8, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. You may recall this photograph or its maker, Ruth Orkin, but do you recall the name of the girl or the circumstances? No? Well, the girl is artist Ninalee (Allen) Craig who died recently at age 90 in Toronto … Continue reading →

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The earliest days of American photography

Posted on April 1, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. Thanks to my good friend and co-founder of the PHSC, John Linsky, for emailing me about this NY Times article on the Getty exhibition of early American photography by Rena Silverman. I did a post about the Getty exhibition … Continue reading →

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A March 1843 Daguerreotype portrait

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. Where would we be without the thoughtful benefit of George Dunbar? Once again George found a photographically interesting item and sent me a quick note. Sotheby’s, the famous auction house, will auction off a daguerreotype of the 6th president … Continue reading →

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