Category Archives: history

hello darkness, my old friend

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Art and Paul may well have sung about night photography sixty years ago with their Sounds of Silence song in 1964. Mid last century film ASA was very slow – in fact a rating of 200 or so was … Continue reading →

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Swiss knives and cameras

Posted on February 6, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. When the minicam bug took off in the mid 1930s, people traded size for resolution. Companies like Leitz touted the use of enlargers to make large images from the small negatives. And minicams proliferated. The cameras ranged from complex … Continue reading →

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silhouette

Posted on December 24, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. This famous photographer was born in Germany and emigrated to the USA in 1935, prior to the second war to join LIFE magazine. He had already made a name in Europe before moving with his family to America. His … Continue reading →

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in the land of the blind …

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. … the one eyed man is king. Have you ever noticed that consumer goods ape each other using the most popular technical advances? Radios, televisions, smart phones, computers, even cars all embrace and promote the latest whiz bang idea. … Continue reading →

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… and the winner is …

Posted on October 27, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. Those of you who have been following the posts on this site know that my friend George Dunbar has been busy researching photographic history through the ads in American magazines such as LIFE from the middle of the last … Continue reading →

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Rochester Library Website

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. My good friend Werner Drechsel pointed out the interesting “Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County” website. On it is a Kodak 1906 catalogue in pdf format which  makes a great read and research tool.  Have a peek at it. … Continue reading →

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mom says screens are bad for your eyes

Posted on September 3, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. This copy of the frontispiece of an 1876 book at the TPL titled, “Shadows on the Screen; or, An Evening With The Children” reminds us that “screens” have been around for well over a century now. As a kid … Continue reading →

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Karl goes digital

Posted on August 23, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. Mankind has always been fascinated with transportation: horses, trains, bicycles, cars, ships, aircraft, etc. As a kid I always thought Henry Ford invented the automobile. Not so! Ford adapted the assembly line to automobile manufacture and dropped the cost … Continue reading →

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double your pleasure

Posted on August 20, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. The “double your pleasure, double your fun” jingle may have applied to Wrigley’s Double Mint gum but it certainly did not apply to accidental photographic double exposures. In fact, camera makers went out of their way to tout their … Continue reading →

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CNE and Cinematographe

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. Cinema and Movies seem so passé these days of TV, streaming, and smartphones but over a century ago movies where the newest means of education and entertainment. The CNE was known as the “Toronto Industrial Exhibition” in those days … Continue reading →

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