Our Fall Fair Oct 19th

Posted on October 3, 2025 by Robert

Toronto.  Treasurer John Morden created this tasty poster for our fall fair this month. Details should be clear but if you do have any questions, drop Mark or Clint a line at fair@phsc.ca.

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amazing Oskar

Posted on October 6, 2025 by Robert

O series Leica in a 2018
Westlicht auction

Toronto. In a recent Digital Camera World article, it was announced that Leica Camera AG had its best  (in revenue) year ever – this on the 100th anniversary of the first sale of Leicas ever.

Like many firms in Europe, the E Leitz Optical House began as a family affair. After the death of the founder, the new owner brought in Ernst Leitz to standardize and optimize the manufacture of microscopes – the company’s primary line of products.

Ernst Leitz eventually took over the facility and renamed it after himself (Ernst Leitz Optische Werke). Around the beginning of the 20th century, Leitz made some photographic lenses and cameras.  Barely into that century Leitz hired Oskar Barnack.  Amongst other things, Barnack  had an idea for a tiny camera using movie film.

In the great depression of the 1930s, the Leitz firm decided to build and sell the tiny camera to hold on to its technical craftsmen. The camera became known as the Leica (LEItz CAmera). The well built and utilitarian little camera was the first commercially successful 35mm camera. It caught the mighty Zeiss/Zeiss-Ikon conglomerate flat footed. It took a few years before the awesome Contax hit the market with its vertically running metal strips shutter and wide range of lenses.

During WW2, the firm began designing a replacement for the screw mount Leica, and in less than a decade afterWW2, the famous M3 was placed on the market, once again revolutionizing photography.

With the inroads of Japanese cameras, the company struggled. A SLR line was introduced. Some rangefinder models were made in Japan by Minolta and Panasonic. Finally, the Leicas and a few other consumer products were sold off and the Leica seemed to be destined to disappear. The cameras became an expensive niche product celebrating various anniversaries/organizations  and stepped up the targeting of collectors.

When digital technology took off, the Leica design and its excellent lenses (both very expensive) slowly began to increase sales. And today, as noted in the DCW article, the camera is once more very profitable. Happy anniversary little guy!

PS. Visit our 2025 events – you are bound to find a Leica there. Next upon October 19th is our fabulous fall fair. Check out this site for details (poster pinned to first page until the 19th).

PPS. The post title is a riff on the spiritual song “Amazing Grace“.

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a phoenix moment …

Posted on October 5, 2025 by Robert

A very old Kodak camera from an earlier PHSC event – a spring Auction in 2020.

Toronto. Past president, author, sports photographer, etc., etc., Less Jones, sent me an email the other day noting Kodak’s ‘Phoenix‘ moment. The article was recently published in the NYT International Weekly, but since I do not have a current account, I will post an abridged version of the AI summary from the email.

Les advises me, “New York Times International Weekly Sept 27/8 has an article on A Retro Revival for KODAK.

“For a few years now there’s been coverage of Kodak’s huge success with branded clothing and film items/ Last year Kodak recorded $1 BILLION in revenue.

“Kodak is experiencing a retro revival by reintroducing analog formats like 35mm and Super 8 film, leveraging the nostalgia for tangible, hands-on experiences in an increasingly digital world. This strategy includes the creation of modern devices that blend analog film with digital technology, such as a new Super 8 camera with a digital viewfinder, and the successful return of its iconic shutter-style logo from 1971.

“The brand is also expanding into apparel and other areas to align with the ‘newtro’ (new + retro) trend, appealing to both existing enthusiasts and new generations seeking authentic and intentional creative processes.

“The revival emphasizes the emotional connection of storytelling, inviting users to ‘Frame the Feelings, Keep the Moments,’ and integrating community photos to create a sense of shared memory.

“Expanding beyond cameras, Kodak has entered the apparel market, with products catering to the ‘newtro’ (new + retro) trend popular in places like South Korea.

“Kodak’s resurgence aligns with broader consumer trends, such as the return of vinyl records, as people seek out tangible, hands-on experiences to counter digital overload.

“In a digital world saturated with AI [ironic in this post …] and filters, the authentic, human process of using film offers a sense of real experience and a ‘digital detox’.

“The familiar look and feel of film and classic Kodak products evoke powerful nostalgia for older generations and intrigue for younger ones.

“Film requires a more intentional, hands-on approach, which fosters deliberate creativity rather than instant digital gratification.

“The unique grainy texture and timeless aesthetic of film provides a distinct visual style sought after in filmmaking and artistic production.”

Drop in at our 2025 events to see what interesting goodies you can add to your collection (or film niche fetish). Coming up fast this month (October 19th) is our fabulous fall fair. Details are in the PHSC News newsletter for July (issue 25-7).

NB. The post title reflects an old and oft used comment that a scene snapped was “A Kodak moment” …

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on collecting old medical photos

Posted on October 4, 2025 by Robert

c1847 Daguerreotype by Southworth & Hawes in the Mass General operating Room

Toronto. One of the earliest medical photos around seems to be this re-enactment of the first operation at the Massachusetts General Hospital under ether (taken by  Southworth & Hawes). According to the Massachusetts General Archives, a second re-enactment was taken by an unknown photographer.

More recently Dr Mike Robinson of Century Darkroom in the east end of Toronto took a modern day Daguerreotype of another re-enactment (Mike is a past president of both the PHSC and the Daguerreian Society).

Back in February of last year, I did post on a variation to this group – dentistry photos. The photo used is from Cindy Motzenbecker’s collection some of which was shown to us in an earlier ZOOM meeting.

Check out our next 2025 event, the famous fall fair to see many great items for your collection, perhaps not a medical photo, but certainly great items! Our PHSC News newsletter for July (25-7) has details.

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essence of beauty

Posted on October 2, 2025 by Robert

James Esson, photographer

Toronto. James Esson founded his photographic studio  in the tiny village about an hour today west of Toronto. The village of Preston, Ontario, since absorbed in larger communities, had a population of some 1,400 souls in 1884.

The history of the studio is told in an illustrated article by Markus Boost, assisted  by Stan White. The article is dedicated to the late Martin Bass. It begins, “It would take great courage to build a lavish photographic studio and portrait gallery in little more than the village of Preston, Ontario which, in 1884, had about 1400 inhabitants – but this is what photographer James Esson did.

“The press described Esson and his studio thus: ‘Mr. Esson’s reputation is continental.  Among his patrons are scores of people in this city, in Montreal, as far west as Winnipeg and from various quarters in the United States. He is undoubtedly a genius among photographers.

“Some years ago, Mr. Esson built one of the handsomest business blocks in Preston in which he has artistically arranged his Atelier. His reception-room is a model of good taste and originality. On the walls are hung specimens of his magnificent work, including many novelties such as are not seen outside of the largest cities and very rarely in these.

“A Cecilian from Heintzman and Co. furnishes music and helps to make the waiting periods of visitors pleasant and delightful. The dressing rooms are luxuriously furnished, and the operating studio is equipped with the most modern photographic apparatus and accessories.

“Esson’s Atelier had two advantages: the proximity of the towns of Hespeler and Galt, and that Preston was a health spa. People were very health conscious in the latter part of the Nineteenth Century. Consumption was rife and outbreaks of infectious and contagious deseases were still prevalent. Those with money, took every opportunity to get out of the cities.

“Sulphur springs were reputed to be advantageous to health. Three grand and numerous smaller hotels, hostels, and boarding houses etc., catered to a continuous flow of people from out of town who came ‘to take the waters.'” …

You can see all of this fine article in the issue 25-2 pdf file on the free members only DVD/thumb drive. See MEMBERSHIP above or Membership at right (skip the postal strike) to join.  Any questions? Drop Lilianne a line at member@phsc.ca.

Visit our latest 2025 Event this month – our famous fall fair on October 19th, 2025. Details are in the PHSC News newsletter (issue 25-7). We will be posting the details here later this month.

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chasing storm photos …

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Robert

Snow storm in Winter of 1958 in Labrador

Toronto. One interesting category of old photos are those displaying storms. For all the 1800s and early 1900s, Our sensitive media were likely far too slow to capture storms as they occurred. More often the aftermath was captured.

At left is a snow storm in Labrador the winter of 1958. The helicopter spark plugs were removed and gently heated in a kitchen oven so the aircraft could come to life after sitting over night.

Your photo collection may have some storm photos already. While we can’t say for sure that you will find more at our next event, we can say you will find interesting items to add to your collection. Our famous fall fair is next on October 19th. Details are in the July 2025 PHSC News newsletter (issue 25-7) and will appear here in a few days.

The idea for this post came from a song called “Riders on the Storm” by the late Jim Morrison and The Doors.

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my lord …

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Robert

St Joe’s c1968 taken from the Cote des Neiges (snow side) side of the structure.

Toronto. I often thought a sub-set of old photo collections could be religion – buildings, people, artifacts, etc. An example is this c1968 shot of St Joseph’s Oratory on Queen Mary Road at Cote des Neiges in Montreal.

This remarkable structure is attributed to the vision of brother Andre, From the front, there are many steps (for pilgrims) up to the basilica entrance. During ww2, the lack of heat in the cruel Montreal winters damaged the structure.

Next up is PHSC’s famous fall fair on October 19th, 2025. Details are here in the July PHSC News newsletter, issue 25-7. While we can’t say you will find old religious photos, you will find lots of interesting articles to add to your collection.

Note: The idea for this post was a line from the 1972 Eagles song, “Take It Easy“.

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it’s a small world after all!

Posted on September 29, 2025 by Robert

House fly head taken by Charles Krebs, Washington State c2005

Toronto. The image you see at left is the 2005 winner of Nikon’s Small World competition. The competition is open to all for macro images shot through a microscope.  The photo is a magnified view of a house fly head taken by Charles B Krebs on the west coast in Washington State (Charles Krebs Photography Issaquah, Washington, USA).

I first became aware of this competition on recently getting an email from Nikon about their 2025 video winners. The images were in colour and gave a different view of every day items. The images show what photography can do in the macro range!

Take a peak in your collection and see if you have any old macro photos. While we can’t say just what will appear at our fairs, we can say they are a great opportunity to find that special item to add to your collection. The fairs have free parking there and near-by; great food; friendly people; and cheap admission! Our next fair is on October 19th at the Trident Hall Evans/Islington in the west end. See our July PHSC News (issue 25-7) for details.

NB. This post title brings to mind the c1967 child’s song of the same name

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some thoughts on construction

Posted on September 28, 2025 by Robert

my late 1950s Exakta VX IIa partly disassembled

Toronto. Have you noticed that many things take on the construction skills of the day? As a kid, radio chassis and cameras were often manufactured in metal. Parts were held together by screws and rivets. This applied to cars, kitchen appliances, sewing machines, microscopes, etc. as well.

A home tinkerer with patience and care could literally disassemble and reassemble anything. My first quality 35mm camera was assembled in the same way and could be taken apart on the kitchen table. You could see a change was coming as some parts were pressure fitted and others glued. Lenses were a bigger challenge – you  needed a collimator to align the lens elements.

I assembled a few computers and took apart others to marvel at the manufacturing expertise displayed (or occasionally cheap construction). Today (and for the past decade or so) I have had Apple products with nary a screw in sight. I learned on the internet that access was available by un-gluing/re-gluing; using glass panel suction devices, special tools, etc.

Older cameras and lenses from the 1800s were constructed of wood, leather (bellows and sometimes the covering), glass, brass, flat-metal, screws, rings, and various brass parts, etc.  Paint and polish could often make the piece more visibly appealing too.  This allowed a reasonably skilled craftsman to repair, restore, etc such a camera or lens.

Modern cameras (if large enough) have barely visible screws set flush and coloured to blend in. Smartphone cameras are tiny and seemingly impossible to remove and disassemble successfully. If the camera quits, it’s junked in favour of a newer one with better features. Yes, many things today are throwaways, too complex and time consuming to repair.  There is no thought of the future (other than in the mind of canny collectors).

Speaking of collecting, come on over to our fabulous fall fair on October 19th. It is being held in Southwest Toronto at the Trident Hall (Evans/Islington). Good food; public transportation; free parking on site and near by; cheap admission; and bargains for your collection be it plate, film, or digital – hardware or images. Details are in the PHSC News newsletter for July (issue 25-7) and will appear here closer to the fair date.

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everyday, it’s getting closer …

Posted on September 27, 2025 by Robert

at the fall 2007 fair

Toronto. … our fall  fair, of course! The fair arrives on Sunday, October 19th, 2025 at the Trident Hall in Toronto’a west end.

Lots to see; lots to buy. A great opportunity to add to your collection. Free parking at the fair or close by; great food; and great bargains. Meet friends old and new at this 2025 event.

While we will be posting details at the top of the site’s first page in a week or so, folks can get the same info in the PHSC News for July, 2025 (issue 25-7).

Come early and stay late! Enjoy the show; enjoy the food; enjoy the people!

NB. Hats off to the late Buddy Holly and his 1957 song, Everyday, for the idea of this post. Here’s Buddy singing his song.

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