Bob’s 1949 Speed Graphic and a new fangled electronic flash (Multiblitz)
Toronto. As a kid, I often thought about seeing Europe. Some youths took physical action to do so. In the 1950s, a young news photographer from Toronto found himself in Germany to review the Canadian Military presence there when he was abruptly told to drop every thing and hit the Atlantic shores of France – Marilyn Bell was about to swim the Channel – the youngest person to make the attempt.
Along with Bob was his trusty Speed Graphic and Multiblitz electronic flash. The story is told by Bob to Bill Belier in Bill’s column “A Treasure From My Collection … “.
Bill begins the story, “For some time I’ve been pestering our editor, Bob Lansdale, to ‘come clean’ and tell me something about his career as a young press photographer… the equipment that he used, and some of the major stories that he covered in his ten-year association with Federal Newsphotos of Canada.
“As a preliminary, Bob let me have access to his well organized print files of hundreds of national events that he had covered. One particular file caught my attention and took me back forty-five years… but this is Bob’s story, so let him continue as he reminisced with me.
“’Press photography’, recalls Bob, ‘has come a long way since the early days of flash powder and glass plates when it was a rarity to capture action and an instant of history. Today [c2000] the press boys klack off a full roll of 35mm film with their Nikons and motor drives so that every instant is covered; their built-in mini-strobes keeping pace with the camera’s chattering shutter.
“By the mid 1950’s things had progressed to a higher level but still shy of the technology enjoyed today. In the summer of 1955, I was touring the Canadian Forces Bases in Germany as a photo journalist for a Toronto press agency, Federal Newsphotos.
“I received an urgent message to drop everything and head for Calais, France to join the Marilyn Bell crew as she made ready to become, at age 17, the youngest person to swim the English Channel. The swim was sponsored by the Toronto Telegram and when I arrived I was received with cool reservation as assignments in Toronto usually identified me with the rival Toronto Star.
“When the Star refused to make use of me (they had their own men on the scene) a deal was worked out for me to act as backup to the official photographer, Jack Judges, a veteran lensman for the Tely.” …
[In those days, the Tely (Telegram) was the more conservative of the three main dailies in the big smoke – we read the Tely daily and my grand parents read the Star. Dad occasionally read the Globe …]. Members read all of Bill’s column and saw the many photos contained in the story in the issue 26-1 pdf file on the free, members-only DVD/thumb drive. See above and at right to join, Email any membership questions to member@phsc.ca.
NB. The post title is a riff on the acclaimed 1988 movie, “The Accidental Tourist” (of course Bill’s story has nothing to do with the movie plot …).
