Category Archives: history

a kokopelli camera

Posted on November 9, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Before science burst the bubble, many gullible souls believed in ghosts, seances, and fairies This past summer, I did the above post linked to ‘fairies’ covering the infamous ‘Cottingley Fairies’ saga. Many well educated folk like Dr Arthur Conan Doyle, … Continue reading →

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transistor radios, TVs, trinitron, walkmans, and more …

Posted on November 7, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Today we usually think of Sony as a TV and camera maker. They made their name in North America with a transistor radio and later the fabulous line of television sets and walkman portable tape players. When digital technology … Continue reading →

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one ringy-dingy

Posted on November 5, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Most of us remember Lily Tomlin and her hilarious nasal rendering of an officious telephone operator. Today, few can even remember the time when we had party lines and local calls were connected by an operator. Today’s smart phone … Continue reading →

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all aboard the gravy train

Posted on November 4, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. In the post WW2 years, photography grew in leaps and bounds: new amateurs, colour, slides, movies, etc. and all with easier, better ways to succeed as a photographer. The Chicago company, SVE, too wanted to profit from the enthusiasm … Continue reading →

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a linhofty objective

Posted on November 3, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. I dream about the last century when I used film and had a darkroom. I was sold on 35mm back then, but still dreamed of larger format media and cameras. For many years, I wanted to own and use … Continue reading →

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really, David? a Realist?

Posted on November 2, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. The Stereo craze ebbs and flows reaching a peak about every 50 years. In the later 1800s and early 1900s it was stereo cards. A basket of cards plus a Holmes viewer took the place of television or movies … Continue reading →

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the alpha and the omega of enlarging

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. I first enlarged negatives when in high school. A few years later in Northern Quebec I bought my first enlarger – a very cheap affair labelled as a Federal. The small town I was in had only contact printing … Continue reading →

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a look in the future to see in the past

Posted on October 29, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Russ Forfar is a science nerd as well as once repairing film cameras in the days before electronics took over. Russ sent me a link to this intriguing article in Science Daily. The article, “Need for larger space telescope … Continue reading →

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in da frame

Posted on October 28, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. There are camera collectors and there are camera collectors. Over a couple of decades ago,  I analyzed the interests of our members so we could reflect the appropriate topics in our journal, and program material. At the time, about … Continue reading →

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an Exakta in my future

Posted on October 27, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. After a few months in Labrador, a few of us decided to buy a top quality camera. Many nights were spent discussing the pros and cons of various German makes, especially Exakta and Leica. A visitor had a IIIf … Continue reading →

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