Category Archives: history

hey! Big Shot!

Posted on February 22, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. The term  “Big Shot” meant someone of importance in business or politics. However, when I was young we used it as a derogatory term for someone who was puffed up by his self perceived importance. In this April 30, … Continue reading →

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enough already!

Posted on February 19, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Do you remember the days of photograph contests? Pictures were snapped on film, prints carefully made, and the hopeful shutter-bug mailed his/her pride and joy(s) to an address for assessment by a professional photographer – or a committee of … Continue reading →

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customer focus

Posted on February 17, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Successful companies in any industry make changes based on customer focus. That is, how do we change our products to solve pressing customer issues? Polaroid was one such company as shown in this April 2nd, 1971 spread on pages … Continue reading →

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have camera, will travel

Posted on February 16, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. A collector down in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Mcheconi, wrote about his find some eight or so years ago – a giant baby Rollei.  The oversize camera served as a promotional object and advertisement for the famous Rollei brand. Mcheconi’s … Continue reading →

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fakin’ it for profit

Posted on February 15, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. You may have noticed that when any communication channel, article, etc. falls markedly in cost, the con artists and spammers leap in to make a profit. In the USA, when postage was cheap, con artists could afford to swamp … Continue reading →

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antique digital

Posted on February 12, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Anyone born this century likely thinks digital is normal – smartphones , television, streaming (voice, music and videos), photography, etc. Over a century ago, some technologies like telegraph or radio were digital – messages send at a distance over … Continue reading →

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readin, writing and ‘rithmetic

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Robert

Toronto  I can remember filmstrips and educational 16mm movies when I was kid. The filmstrips were shown with a tiny SVC projector and rather than a recording, a teacher spoke about each frame’s meaning. How did I know? I ran … Continue reading →

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cleaning up with Polaroid & Tide

Posted on February 10, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. As I mentioned in a few posts, advertising costs could be reduced by joining forces with a non-competitor. An example is the Polaroid-Tide ad in the November 29, 1970 issue of LIFE magazine. Enthusiasts – or anyone who saw … Continue reading →

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that Kodak girl again …

Posted on February 9, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. early last century, Kodak used the popular concept of sex to sell – in this case Kodak cameras. It was the rather wholesome ‘Kodak Girl‘ who became the central person in the  Kodak ads of the era. She illustrated … Continue reading →

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sad lady, sad song

Posted on February 7, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Such a pretty portrait; such a tragic situation. The girl is Evelyn Nesbit who saw her husband, Railway scion Harry Thaw, shoot and kill her lover, architect Stanford White, in the Big Apple on June 25, 1906. This portrait, … Continue reading →

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