Author Archives: Robert

cool water

Toronto. Old photo collectors value outdoor scenes, work environment, etc. An unusual category might be desert scenes. We learn in school the various desert areas in the world. While the USA has a number of them, the only one I … Continue reading

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sans photography …

Toronto. Have you ever heard of a”chemigraph”?  It is an engraving made on a metal (zinc) plate using chemicals instead of photography. The word originated in German combining chem- + -graph The image can be reproduced as a platinum print. … Continue reading

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for want of a nickel …

Toronto. … a camera is lost. Our PHSC fall auction is coming up fast (November 9th) and we will be posting photos and possibly a lot list when received from our auctioneer. Meantime, don’t forfeit a desired lot next month … Continue reading

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a button for Christmas …

Toronto. Long before television, people could view stereo cards at home to see the world, learn new things, and view comedy. Games used simple objects found in any home. Even in the 1940s, I can remember playing the button game … Continue reading

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meet the Lomo MC-A

Toronto. While this little guy is not currently a collectible, it may well be in the future! Lomography has long supported those niche folk who relish the  look of analogue images created on film, not a sensor. Time, patience and … Continue reading

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a plus one… ?

Toronto. My friend Les Jones, sent me an email the other day about some items for last Sunday’s fair. In part he referred to a camera called EXA from c1950. It was embossed ‘USSR Occupied’. I happen to have a … Continue reading

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old nature photos

Toronto. While the image at left is far too new to be collectible today, many other bird, animal, fish, landscape, etc. photos from a century or more ago are collectible images. Collectors haunt our shows to discover old photos that … Continue reading

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the right POV

Toronto. Dry plate technology introduced ‘detective’ cameras – hand held cameras disguised as satchels, purses, boxes, etc. usable without the give-away of a tripod. Once potential subjects recognized this new variation of camera, another means of  secrecy had to be … Continue reading

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Film Formats 1930-60

Toronto. Those of us who know only digital photography, likely never used film. For our 25th Anniversary, editor Lansdale prodded exchange member editors to offer one article each for our anniversary edition of Photographic Canadiana. The boys from ‘Down Under’ … Continue reading

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our fall auction – Nov 9, 2025

Toronto. Our 2025 events wrap up with our November 9, 2025 Museum Auction featuring lots from the Sherman Hines Museum plus some estate items. Sorry, no consignment lots. Questions? Drop auctioneer Clint a note at auction@phsc.ca.

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