Category Archives: history

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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what’s supp?

Posted on February 6, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Did you ever hear of stamp cameras? The PHSA? Northlight? Then you must have started collecting photographic gear and photos after the 1970s. As a member of the PHSC you received a supplement Friday, the 4th on American Postage … Continue reading →

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old way of doing it

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. In the late 1960s to early 1970s a company called Synchronex Corporation in the Big Apple sold super 8 movie cameras, audio recorders and movie projectors with a twist. Home movie buffs using their products could record sound on … Continue reading →

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you think you have it tough ….

Posted on February 3, 2021 by Robert

. This photograph was taken in Appalachia way back in 1914 by William Barnhill. It shows impoverished women forced to be household drudges and field hands, aging to old hags within a few short years of the heavy labour. To … Continue reading →

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