Category Archives: history

what the heck are pannotypes?

Posted on October 18, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. In the late 1800s, prints were made in a variety of ways on many different materials. Pannotypes used a process to convert Ambrotype photos from glass to patent leather. The above link offers some details. The article was published … Continue reading →

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better than pearl …

Posted on October 8, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. A young Peter Stackpole shot the construction of the Bay Bridge  (to Oakland) and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco with his Leica A – the first professional quality and successfully marketed miniature camera. The last edition of … Continue reading →

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amazing Oskar

Posted on October 6, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. In a recent Digital Camera World article, it was announced that Leica Camera AG had its best  (in revenue) year ever – this on the 100th anniversary of the first sale of Leicas ever. Like many firms in Europe, … Continue reading →

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a phoenix moment …

Posted on October 5, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. Past president, author, sports photographer, etc., etc., Less Jones, sent me an email the other day noting Kodak’s ‘Phoenix‘ moment. The article was recently published in the NYT International Weekly, but since I do not have a current account, … Continue reading →

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essence of beauty

Posted on October 2, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. James Esson founded his photographic studio  in the tiny village about an hour today west of Toronto. The village of Preston, Ontario, since absorbed in larger communities, had a population of some 1,400 souls in 1884. The history of … Continue reading →

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some thoughts on construction

Posted on September 28, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. Have you noticed that many things take on the construction skills of the day? As a kid, radio chassis and cameras were often manufactured in metal. Parts were held together by screws and rivets. This applied to cars, kitchen … Continue reading →

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stairway to heaven

Posted on September 22, 2025 by Robert

Toronto.  Around 2014 there was considerable activity here as the old WCH building and garage were replaced by new, more modern facilities as the province worked hard to change their medical management process. For collectors of old images, one segment … Continue reading →

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fire sale

Posted on September 21, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. Another reason to shop early for Christmas! In late 1958 I moved from the Labrador woods to the metropolis of Knob Lake, Quebec (renamed as Schefferville, Quebec). Its main employer was the mining company called Iron Ore and its … Continue reading →

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midnight at the films

Posted on September 20, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. Today we take the amazing speed of our media – sensors – for granted, but for much of the pre-digital era, media was far too slow for night scenes unless a tripod was used, subjects were motionless (or followed … Continue reading →

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the good old hockey game …

Posted on September 19, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. With fall comes cold weather … and hockey. Image collectors sometimes have a sub-collection of sports photos. All sort of games and sports photos over the years are candidates for collectors – action shots, individual players, or even team … Continue reading →

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