Author Archives: Robert

serendipity

Posted on June 27, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. Movies began with small machines at penny arcades, home movie projectors and finally movie theatres. Our resident movie expert, the late Robert Gutteridge, amassed a collection of old movie cameras, projectors, etc. An author of both books and articles, … Continue reading →

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numero uno

Posted on June 26, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. This c1927 British field camera, ‘The UNA Traveller‘ is well named. The robust yet light construction meant it was reliable world wide – from jungle to desert to arctic. In his column for the early 2010 issue of Photographic … Continue reading →

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doing it right with sweat and tears

Posted on June 25, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. The slow speed of dry plate emulsions in the 1890s   resulted in two situations: The plates were very contrasty and very slow. Unless a very soft light was used (carefully, highlights would be burnt out (no detail) or … Continue reading →

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Graham Garrett’s Indian story

Posted on June 24, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. Anyone who knew Graham knew two things about him: Firstly: he was very prickly and difficult to know (he abruptly appeared on my doorstep one day professing unhappiness with the journal editor of the day). And Secondly he was … Continue reading →

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a one-eyed tropical wizard

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. In the early 1900s, various English companies made glass-plate SLRs. The idea was to use the same lens for both viewing and photographing. A mirror changed the direction for viewing (vertical) to photographing (straight through). In the tropics, the … Continue reading →

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one for the birds

Posted on June 22, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. A rare Pettibone projector from 1888 is nick-named ‘the Peacock’ with the circular array of slides. Such a strange device was displayed about 15 years ago at our fall fair. It was photographed by the late Bob Lansdale, our … Continue reading →

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a Gordian Knot in photography

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. You may recall the story of the Gordian Knot in Greek Mythology. In a way the illusive Gordon camera was photography’s ‘Gordian Knot’. Issue 35-2 of our journal covers the saga and in fact uses the Gordon camera as … Continue reading →

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…the holly and the ivy …

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. Rats! Wrong web site! This should be about Photographica, not Christmas in July(ish). Oh well, let’s talk about the Holly camera, at least it’s Photographica. A rare, unsuccessful German plastic box camera of 1950 vintage, The Holly uses 120 … Continue reading →

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scaring the daylight out

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. Bob Lansdale, our late editor, was a staunch supporter of Canadian technology and innovation. An article in issue 29-3 stated, “… detailed in Photographic Canadiana Vol. 29-3 that the daylight developing machine was patented April 17, 1900 by Arthur … Continue reading →

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Ted Shepherd’s Replica Camera

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. The world was electrified in early 1839 when Louie Daguerre’s amazing process for creating images by the action of sunlight was announced. The new process meant new devices to ‘capture’ these images. Being French, Daguerre’s early cameras were made … Continue reading →

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