Author Archives: Robert

the perfect bid

Posted on July 29, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. This post is courtesy of Sonja Pushchak. It involves a bid in an Austrian auction reported in a British society’s newsletter (Tailboard). The post title is a riff on the movie, “The  Perfect Storm” were the forces of mother nature … Continue reading →

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puppy love

Posted on July 28, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. In the 1930s when this ad was displayed (May, 1939 issue of Popular Mechanics) Graflex was a stand alone company once again and worked hard to gain access to the amateur photographers in America. The company ran photo contests … Continue reading →

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not all bad

Posted on July 27, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. The great depression was a nightmare for most folks, culminating in the second world war. A sliver of silver lining in the gloomy clouds of depression was the fall in most retail prices. By June of 1939, even the … Continue reading →

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before we had polaroid cameras

Posted on July 26, 2022 by Robert

Toronto.  George Dunbar in his search of old magazines for ads and articles relevant to photography often finds unusual stories and cameras. For example, the June, 1939 Popular Mechanics magazine had a filler article called, “Two-Minute Photo Printed in Portable … Continue reading →

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Communications courageous

Posted on July 25, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. When photography was first announced back in January, 1839, the world was ecstatic. Samuel F. B. Morse, inventor of the telegraph, was visiting France that year and brought the Daguerreotype process back home with him to America. It was … Continue reading →

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8mm to the rescue

Posted on July 24, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. By 1932, the world’s worst ever depression was well underway. Jobs were lost in droves. Fortunes disappeared literally overnight. Buying on margin became an instant pariah. Photo industry companies used novel ideas kept some of the amateur photographers active. … Continue reading →

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more than one way to skin a cat …

Posted on July 23, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. …. or ride a frisky horse. The May, 1939 article from Popular Mechanics shows how a stuffed horse could simulate a bucking broncho in a photo taken for the folks back home! Notice how the professional photographer uses a … Continue reading →

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before there was Virtual Reality ….

Posted on July 22, 2022 by Robert

Toronto.  … there was Stereo. After all, Virtual Reality (VR) is just Stereo on steroids – i.e. interactive video in stereo. Modern day VR is experimenting with various techniques such as projecting directly on the human retina. In the PHSC, … Continue reading →

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3D anyone?

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. An article in the June, 1939 issue of Popular Mechanics shows a clever device for shooting live 3D with a normal 35mm camera. A mirror device affixed to the lens takes two images in a single frame – one … Continue reading →

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watcha doin’?

Posted on July 20, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. You may wonder why we are posting information on an  auction of, “Clocks, Watches & Scientific Instruments” by an outside auction house (Bonhams). Well it may surprise many of you but some PHSC members collect more than cameras and … Continue reading →

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