Toronto. I first heard American composer Aaron Copland’s “fanfare for the common man” back in late 1957 when I picked up a Westminster LP titled “Copland“.
And like Copland’s well covered composition, the little Minolta was indeed made for the common man. In 1957, I had its slightly pricier brother, a Minolta Super A which looked much the same except for the faster f/1.8 Rokkor 50mm lens.
Minolta struggled for a foothold in North America, competing against the German marques, Japanese makers, and local (American) cameras with ads like this one in LIFE magazine’s November 11, 1957 issue. A big thanks to George Dunbar for sharing this find with me and bringing back the pleasure the little camera gave me as I worked diligently to learn photography.