Monthly Archives: March 2025

The Henry Morgan Collection

Toronto. Have you ever heard of “The Henry Morgan Collection of Photographic Portraits”? No? In issue 22-4 member Thomas Ritchie wrote an article on the collection. He begins by saying, “A large collection of photographs of eminent Canadians, held in storage for … Continue reading

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rock of ages

Toronto. One of the first old cameras I acquired was a lensless field camera made by the Rochester Optical Co. I was given a lenses (in a shutter) later in Montreal which I added to the camera using a home-made … Continue reading

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a way to get some old photos

Toronto. One of our exchange societies, The Daguerreian Society, raises funds via commercial announcements of auctions. Two are occurring  in the next few weeks in collaboration with Canada Book Auctions. While these auctions take place in Toronto, check which currency … Continue reading

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another archive for photo collectors

Toronto. MiPHS member and good friend of many PHSC folk, Cynthia Motzenbecker, sent this copy of Anne Bennington-Helber’s email message to the PHSC and others: “I wanted to share the GREAT news that the real-photo postcard series from the David V. … Continue reading

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not Kit Carson

Toronto. As camera collectors, did you ever wonder how the instruments you cherish and lust after made it here as new products to be marketed by retail shops across our nation? For example, I recall the late Bill Belier telling … Continue reading

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hi yo silver …

Toronto. … as the Lone Ranger called to his white steed. My buddy and I used to listen to the radio program featuring the adventures of the Lone Ranger back in the late 1940s. Which brings us to the metal … Continue reading

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Brodie’s Machine

Toronto. Brodie Whitelaw (photographer) was well known to professional photographers in Ontario, especially past-editor Ev Roseborough. Brodie spoke at our May, 1989 meeting displaying a sampling of his skill via many beautiful prints. Born in 1910, Brodie died decades later … Continue reading

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the eye looker redux

Toronto. I mentioned in earlier post that we camera collectors sometimes collect other oddball optical gadgets too. In the last issue (22-2) Ev wrote about a 1901 souvenir he discovered amongst Brodie Whitelaw’s gear and suggested it was a Stanhope … Continue reading

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how bright is yonder light

Toronto. One element of a good photograph is correct illumination. Early days of the art saw a variety of charts, tables, and gadgets marketed or offered to aid the budding professional. From dry plates on, this aspect of the art … Continue reading

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billboard in the bog

Toronto. Photo collectors often cherish  outdoor photos and work photos. This image hits both topics, but may be a bit too new for the collecting fraternity. Shown here is a billboard size Tropospheric Scatter antenna from the late 1950s. Microwave … Continue reading

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