Author Archives: Robert

those wonderful old Graflex cameras of yesteryear

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. what a great year! 1922. And Folmer and Schwing, a Kodak division at the time, advertised in Vanity Fair with this attractive portrait of a little girl. Charming portrait. Charming camera. The Folmer & Schwing company had a complicated … Continue reading →

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movin’ out

Posted on December 8, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. It was a miserable weekend, but Tuesday, December 3rd was clear so I joined editor Lansdale to sort and package the latest issue of Photographic Canadiana. We had one brief set back. CPC hardened their password protocol so we … Continue reading →

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picture postcards

Posted on December 7, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. At left is a postcard of the Allandale Railway Station and restaurant on the edge of Kempenfeldt bay. My mother worked in the restaurant in the 1930s and enjoyed the excitement and rush to get passengers fed and on … Continue reading →

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a phlock of photogs

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. Nearly 60 years ago, LIFE gathered all its photographers, including one retired photographer in NYC for this group shot. It is the topic of the January 18, 1960 Speaking of Pictures column (pp 8, 9). Of the group, only … Continue reading →

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a different spin on things

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. One serious issue with extreme wide angle lenses in the days of big cameras and film or glass plates was light drop off in the film (or plate) corners. Expose for the centre, and there was serious vignetting. Expose … Continue reading →

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ticka-tocka-not-a-clocka

Posted on December 4, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. If you enjoy a mystery set in the 20s, Frankie Drake on CBC fills the bill. In some episodes, she or her team use a tiny spy camera called a Ticka. The Ticka was sold from about 1905 to … Continue reading →

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points of view

Posted on December 3, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. Cameras of the last century tended to make a particular point of view easier. Cameras with rangefinders usually took an eye level view. Those with vertical viewfinders like some Kodaks and the famous TLRs took waist level shots – … Continue reading →

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flipping over movies

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. Pepsodent had a catchy jingle when I was a youth, “you’ll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent“. Around the same time, one of my favourite cartoons showed a perplexed artist (Van Gogh?) staring … Continue reading →

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Lights! Action! Camera!

Posted on December 1, 2019 by Robert

LIFE Ad for the Argus M3 8mm movie camera (November 1959) Toronto. Ahhh, amateur home movies. In the 1930s and 40s well heeled families could shoot 16mm movies of family life. Post war, 8mm  and Super 8mm became common allowing … Continue reading →

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when is a camera not a camera?

Posted on November 30, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. When it’s a Komic Kamera – a toy handheld  2D viewer for film strips! The size of this viewer suggests 35mm strips. I saw a couple of sites on Google that suggested the little toy was made by different … Continue reading →

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