Author Archives: Robert

snow balls in July

Posted on July 19, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. Old photo collectors might search for old images of blossoms and plants. The image at right is far too recent to even be considered a collectible at present. Our various 2026 events included lots of old photographs. While many … Continue reading →

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readin’ da news …

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. There has been an interest in the history of photography dating back at least to 1905 when Josef Eder produced his first edition (I have  the Dover reprint of his third edition). In America, there have been many books … Continue reading →

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eye of the beholder

Posted on July 17, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. The saying is “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. That appears to be true for subjects of early portraits. The example at left is a cabinet card portrait taken by John Best of Oshawa in the later … Continue reading →

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full spectrum

Posted on July 16, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. From its invention in 1839 until dry plates hit the market, photography was for specialists only – people with the skill and art necessary for the taking of a good ‘likeness’. When dry plates hit the market, followed about … Continue reading →

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I hear the train a comin’

Posted on July 15, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. This year on July 4th our friends down south celebrated 250 years since their  amazing country was founded. Amongst the many celebrations was the decision by Union Pacific to take its famous Steam Engine number 4014 out and run … Continue reading →

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foolin’ around

Posted on July 14, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. Toy cameras came on the market decades ago. I remember purchasing an old Fisher Price toy camera back in the 1970s. Some toy cameras were also made in the digital era and actually could take digital images such as … Continue reading →

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horsing around …

Posted on July 13, 2026 by Robert

Toronto.Until past WW2, Canada was more rural than urban. In the 20s and 30s, youngsters from the east would go west via trains to help with the fall harvest. At left is a photograph showing the arrangement of horses used … Continue reading →

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wow! today’s the day!

Posted on July 12, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. Today, July 12th,  is here at last and along with it our famous mid year outdoor Trunk Sale. Clint has done a tremendous job arranging a location and coordinating vendor spots. He and some of our tireless volunteers will … Continue reading →

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goldilocks

Posted on July 11, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. A recent posting by Digital Camera World announced that a gold plated Leica M6 would be put up for auction. Our past editor, the late  Bob Lansdale,used an M6, but not gold plated. Many prestigious makers do short specialized … Continue reading →

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instruments

Posted on July 10, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. Image collectors sometimes ‘group’ old photos by topic – eg the meter at left could be in a group called, ‘meters’, ‘scientific instruments’ etc.. While the meter is over a century old, the photograph  is quite recent and definitely … Continue reading →

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