Monthly Archives: March 2025

remember using D-76

Toronto. As a youth, I bought an old chemical balance and a whack of Kodak chemicals to make my own developers, stop bath, and fixer bath. Later on I bought ready-made Kodak chemicals like D-76 for developing negatives and DEKTOL … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , | Comments Off on remember using D-76

the eye looker

Toronto. Camera collectors often included various odd looking optical items in their collection. In the late 1980s, I was browsing antique stores, junk sales, etc. for interesting items. In one case, a little girl stood guard over a road side … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on the eye looker

remembering Christine Mackie …

Toronto. Christine Mackie burst upon the PHSC scene a few brief years before her death. One of our more flamboyant members, she collected antique motorcycles and bicycles, stored back home in Hamilton. She leaped into camera collecting with unrivalled enthusiasm, … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , | Comments Off on remembering Christine Mackie …

mr Curtis, you make good photos …

Toronto. … with apologies to Mr Christie. Edward Curtis was a famous American photographer and author; an authority on Native American People (i.e. Aboriginals or First Nation People here). A few of his photographs are framed and hang in Barberian’s … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , | Comments Off on mr Curtis, you make good photos …

an ambrotype self portrait

Toronto. Over the years, photographic processes continuously evolved. For example, some effort was made to deliver less expensive cased images (Daguerreotype look-a-likes). One solution was to take a negative using the then new wet-plate technology and treat it to reverse … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on an ambrotype self portrait

AI and photo history

Toronto. Some of us are bombarded by announcements about the marvellous results attained by artificial intelligence (AI). Here at the PHSC we use some apps touted as AI, especially Topaz Photo AI (with each update this program has shown improvement). … Continue reading

Posted in activities-other | Tagged , , | Comments Off on AI and photo history

a better mouse trap

Toronto. Past president, author, and sports photographer Les Jones sent me a note the other day on an interesting article about Henry’s lost cameras. In January of 1839, Two unique means to capture images created by sunlight were announced. One, … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on a better mouse trap

from mother Russia (with love??)

Toronto. Issue 22-1 features a selection of cameras from our 1996 spring fair as photographed by Bob Lansdale and assisted by Tiit Kodar. Among the offered goodies was this rare Russian camera, the USSR Sport from 1935. The photo for … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on from mother Russia (with love??)

aptly chosen words …

Toronto. Various photographers have chosen to pick popular city locations which were photographed many decades ago, and show what they look like today given roughly the same field of view, etc. In our journal issue 22-1, the late Stan White … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on aptly chosen words …

mr Garrett continues …

Toronto. The late Graham Garrett was our guest speaker at the 20th anniversary supper. One one hand he could be downright prickly to deal with but on the other hand, he was the epitome of  a photographic researcher: determined, thorough, … Continue reading

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on mr Garrett continues …