Monthly Archives: June 2024

the mystery of Frankie D

Toronto. The next step after the Daguerrotype was the use of glass plates. Initially glass plates used a wet solution (wet-plate) and years later a dry solution (dry-plate). To make the sensitized emulsion ‘hold’ to the glass, a sticky mixture … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , | Comments Off on the mystery of Frankie D

the palmer papers

Toronto. Eli Palmer was a Canadian photographer who created many Daguerreotype portraits.A Wikipedia article here covers a broad range of Canadian photographers including one very very  brief mention of Palmer. Our late editor, Bob Lansdale introduces the research into Mr Palmer … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , | Comments Off on the palmer papers

full circle

Toronto. Group photos have always been a challenge. In Photographic Canadiana issue 36-1 dated May-June 2010, our late editor Bob Lansdale covers two things near and dear to him: group photos with special cameras; and Canadiana. This issue includes a … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on full circle

serendipity

Toronto. Movies began with small machines at penny arcades, home movie projectors and finally movie theatres. Our resident movie expert, the late Robert Gutteridge, amassed a collection of old movie cameras, projectors, etc. An author of both books and articles, … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on serendipity

numero uno

Toronto. This c1927 British field camera, ‘The UNA Traveller‘ is well named. The robust yet light construction meant it was reliable world wide – from jungle to desert to arctic. In his column for the early 2010 issue of Photographic … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on numero uno

doing it right with sweat and tears

Toronto. The slow speed of dry plate emulsions in the 1890s   resulted in two situations: The plates were very contrasty and very slow. Unless a very soft light was used (carefully, highlights would be burnt out (no detail) or … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , | Comments Off on doing it right with sweat and tears

Graham Garrett’s Indian story

Toronto. Anyone who knew Graham knew two things about him: Firstly: he was very prickly and difficult to know (he abruptly appeared on my doorstep one day professing unhappiness with the journal editor of the day). And Secondly he was … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Graham Garrett’s Indian story

a one-eyed tropical wizard

Toronto. In the early 1900s, various English companies made glass-plate SLRs. The idea was to use the same lens for both viewing and photographing. A mirror changed the direction for viewing (vertical) to photographing (straight through). In the tropics, the … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on a one-eyed tropical wizard

one for the birds

Toronto. A rare Pettibone projector from 1888 is nick-named ‘the Peacock’ with the circular array of slides. Such a strange device was displayed about 15 years ago at our fall fair. It was photographed by the late Bob Lansdale, our … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , | Comments Off on one for the birds

a Gordian Knot in photography

Toronto. You may recall the story of the Gordian Knot in Greek Mythology. In a way the illusive Gordon camera was photography’s ‘Gordian Knot’. Issue 35-2 of our journal covers the saga and in fact uses the Gordon camera as … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on a Gordian Knot in photography