Category Archives: history

doin’ it in the dark

Posted on May 28, 2020 by Robert

Toronto, When light sensitive media were very slow and insensitive to the lower end of the spectrum (reds, oranges), the photographer’s eye could judge a fully developed image by subdued light or reddish illumination. About a century ago, flexible roll … Continue reading →

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tanks for de memories …

Posted on May 27, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. In the days of film, exposure created a latent image, invisible to the eye. A chemical reaction to a hand full of chemicals, including at least one which converted and clumped silver halide molecules exposed to light into metallic … Continue reading →

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ad for speed and innovation c1964

Posted on May 26, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. This is another ad for the film world’s maverick, Polaroid. The company down plays the COST of its film and paper combination by emphasizing the technology and simplicity of its cameras, the tonal and colour fidelity of its materials, … Continue reading →

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things go better …

Posted on May 23, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. … with Coke, or so they say. In 1964 Coke used a B&W copy of this advertisement to inform the general public that both Coke and Coca-Cola are the trademarks of the same big company. A camera signified just … Continue reading →

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it’s in the cards

Posted on May 19, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Over a century ago, before movies, radio, television, computers, and smart phones, a key source of education and entertainment was the stereo card.  These slightly curved bits of cardboard held two photos (usually taken at slightly different angles, although … Continue reading →

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up close and personal

Posted on May 17, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. I took this shot in October 2014 with a century old Zeiss licensed, Krauss made Tessar 35mm f/3.5 at f/22 after looking at the soil sample under a Leitz stereo microscope using 12.5x, 50x, and 100x magnification. The Tessar … Continue reading →

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if only it was this easy …

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Robert

Toronto.By 1964, a new kind of exposure meter finally made it possible to record low light settings. The CdS or Cadmium Sulfide cell resistance varied with the amount of light it was exposed to. A battery with a stable voltage … Continue reading →

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the way we were …

Posted on May 14, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. A popular camera chain, Henry’s, began here in Toronto over a century ago. This May, the chain announced it would be closing a number of stores as it restructured. Then Henry’s head, Andy Stein, spoke with us back in … Continue reading →

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gizmos and gadgets

Posted on May 8, 2020 by Robert

Toronto, In the 1960s, camera makers fought to gain market share. A fresh idea might be swept up by the competition – or left to linger and die an orphan. Ricoh cameras were made by Riken Optical in Japan. According … Continue reading →

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Rokkin’ lenses

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. By 1963, the Japanese Optical industry was a tsunami roaring across the Western world. No longer viewed as copy cats of German technology, Japan was rightfully recognized as a serious contender for high quality optical products. A December 6, … Continue reading →

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