Author Archives: Robert

…beginning to see the light

Posted on August 6, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. It seems like just yesterday that I headed to my darkroom to develop my Leica negatives and make some prints using my hands to dodge and burn to improve the contrast. I would spend one night developing negatives and … Continue reading →

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Black is Beautiful

Posted on August 5, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. The early Leicas were mostly black – black enamel – and if well used had “brassing” or edges where the enamel wore through to the brass. Shown is a beautiful  example of a clean 1937 Leica II (no slow … Continue reading →

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Polaroid – before the cameras

Posted on August 4, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. In 1948 Edwin Land began marketing the amazing “picture in a minute” camera. In the early days demand far exceeded supply making the new cameras very scarce. But what happened before the cameras? Why are they called Polaroid cameras, … Continue reading →

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More Fish than Fowl – Leica IIIg

Posted on August 3, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. 1956 was an exciting year for Leitz Germany and Leitz Canada, the small factory established in Midland as Ernst Leitz Canada. The company made the IIIf, IIIg, and M3 in Germany and assembled them there and in Canada. For … Continue reading →

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Seven come Eleven…

Posted on August 2, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. A late rangefinder model Canon was introduced   as the Canon 7 in 1961. This was replace by the Canon 7s shown here in 1965 and made until the summer of 1967. The 7s had two improvements over the … Continue reading →

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Some Canons shoot pictures…

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. The Canon P shown here with a Canon f/1.2 lens will appear in our fall auction (Nov 19, 2017). If you don’t have one in your collection, or would like the super fast f/1.2 lens now is your chance! … Continue reading →

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Full Circle

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. In 1957, I started the big adventure of my life. I joined Bell’s Tropospheric Scatter project which would bring telephone communications to remote areas of Northern Quebec and Labrador. Training was based in Montreal in the old Salada Tea … Continue reading →

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When a Professional was a Professional!

Posted on July 30, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. Every Canadian knows of the sudden death football game for the Grey Cup. In 1956 – about 60 years ago – a gaggle of professionals gussied up in mainly medium format cameras with attached flash, were in the Varsity … Continue reading →

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Cutting the Clutter

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. Remember the family album or the old shoe box of prints? Like all families, mine and my wife’s folks would take out an album or a box and lovingly go over the pictures bringing back fond and not so … Continue reading →

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Dawson City: Frozen in Time

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. An annual feature of this city is its “Hot Docs” festival. At this year’s festival one of the documentaries was called “Dawson City: Frozen in Time“. This film covers the find up in that illustrious Yukon town of many … Continue reading →

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