What could this box be? Photographers used it a century ago
Toronto. Collectors can relate to (Professor) Lindsay Lambert in his late spring 2004 tale. Living up Ottawa way, Lindsay is known for collecting and talking on magic lanterns and their assorted extras. That spring, we produced issue 30-1 of our journal. In it Lindsay speaks of his background and the discovery of this unusual ‘box’.
Lindsay begins, “My wife and I had an antique shop for some 15 1/2 years, from 1978 to 1993. Actually she opened the store in 1978 and I met her eight months later. During those years I got to see a lot of collectable material and learned two great lessons from that experience:
“The first is that you can’t own anything unless you consume it. If it is something lasting, it will eventually be transferred to someone else. You are merely a temporary custodian.
“The second lesson is that it is unequivocally all junk. The only thing that is important are the stories that they carry and communicate across time and space.
“I began collecting photographica and using old cameras back in 1972. My interest and experience eventually led me to set up an old-time portrait studio at Calgary’s Heritage Park in 1977. I was inspired by itinerant photographers of the late 19th century and I fulfilled the part by dressing my sitters in period costumes for their trip back in time.
“The Park management purchased an old Century View camera mounted on a bi-post stand from Calgary photographer Albert Tigerstedt. He was in his eighties, at the time, and still running his business. I noticed on a visit [to Calgary] a couple years ago that the Tigerstedt Studio was still in operation but I assume the photographer has passed on.”
Members back then could read the rest of the story – and discover the purpose of the strange box – in their personal hard copy of Photographic Canadiana. More recent members could do the same using the PHSC DVD sent free to every new member.
Don’t have one? Not a member? Easy to solve, just see the sub-menu ‘MEMBERSHIP’ above or the details in the right hand sidebar (to use PayPal or a credit card). Once signed up, a DVD will be sent off via Canada Post. Problems? Email me (Robert) at info@phsc.ca for assistance.
