Monthly Archives: January 2026

as Horace Greeley once said …

Posted on January 31, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. …Go west, young man. Many photographers did indeed ‘go west’ – in North America, that is. Messrs Palmquist and Kailbourn recently released a “biographical dictionary” of the “pioneer photographers of the far west“. This opus was reviewed in issue … Continue reading →

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a really rare one

Posted on January 30, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. I often mention that wet plate cameras usually self destruct as they are used. In this rare example shown in Bill Belier’s column in issue 26-4 it is described by its present owner – Mike Robinson. Bill begins, “Our … Continue reading →

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submerged in religion

Posted on January 29, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. The article “A Surprising Find!” not only expands on Carswell’s CdVs but discusses the meeting of Baptist clergy in Toronto in 1868 and Carswell’s group photo shown here. It is a collage of individual portraits. The article by editor … Continue reading →

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a pocket full of poses

Posted on January 28, 2026 by Robert

Toronto.  Around the time when the northern part of British North America established  itself as the Dominion of Canada (1867), a Toronto photographer, Robert Carswell, created these CdVs which became part of the late Robert Wilson’s collection. Twenty-five years ago, … Continue reading →

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spring camerama

Posted on January 27, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. Our friend Gary Perry has announced his first show of the year. Address any question to Gary at email: cameramashow@gmail.com or use Phone/Text: 905-550-7477. The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre 6 Sakura Way, Toronto, M3C 1Z5 Show Hours: 10:00am – 3:00pm Admission $10, Students $8 (with … Continue reading →

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Winter Photographic History Auction

Posted on January 26, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. Louis Daguerre is famous for releasing the first publicly announced practical process for photography – and for offering it free to all outside the UK. His portrait (shown here) is one of the lots in the upcoming auction of … Continue reading →

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keeping it small …

Posted on January 25, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. Lot 339 in February’s auction (Feb 15th) is a fine example of keeping cameras small, This Balda folds up like a Retina and can be dropped in a pocket. The auction lots include many small 35mm cameras and a … Continue reading →

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field of view

Posted on January 24, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. In the 1800s professional outdoor photographers were easy to spot: A dark viewing cloth, a wooden tripod and a field camera shouted it out loud! The wooden view camera spanned the wet plate and dry plate eras. Smaller, metal … Continue reading →

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*** AUCTION DATE CHANGE ***

Posted on January 23, 2026 by Robert

HI FOLKS DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER THIS WEEKEND AND THE FORECAST FOR HEAVY SNOW THIS SUNDAY, JAN 25th OUR AUCTION HAS BEENED MOVED TO FEB 15, 2026 AT THE SAME PLACE.  A NEW POSTER WILL GO LIVE TONIGHT THE … Continue reading →

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it isn’t easy being square …

Posted on January 23, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. Most cameras/negatives produce a rectangular image but some do not. Instead, the photographer can expose for the square image, or visualize a landscape or portrait print. One issue with smaller cameras was the ‘squinty’ viewfinder. To solve this issue, … Continue reading →

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