Category Archives: history

an eye-popping price tag!

Posted on July 2, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. A null series  Leica serial 112, once assigned to the inventor of the tiny marvel, Oskar Barnack, was sold at auction in Europe for an estimated 11 and a half MILLION dollars Canadian! The camera was sold by Leica … Continue reading →

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A Photo Album from 1930

Posted on June 30, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. Photo collectors frequently add photo albums to their collection. These are often Victorian in nature filled with CDVs, Cabinet cards and the like. But some albums are special, even post Victorian, and  intended to commemorate big events. Check out … Continue reading →

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sometimes a bit sketchy

Posted on June 28, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. Being a small journal, we get/ask members to contribute. One fine contribution was that of the late Thomas Ritchie from Ottawa. His article on a photographic process is titled, “AUTOGRAPH ETCHINGS – John Ehninger’s New Application of Photographic Art”. Like … Continue reading →

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PUTSing it to plastic …

Posted on June 27, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. Early on photography became a main-stay of advertisements, brochures, and manuals.  As camera and image collecting interest grew, so did interest in photographic history, including that of camera manufacturers. Around the same time, the CD replaced the old vinyl … Continue reading →

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… meanwhile, back east …

Posted on June 24, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. For over a century, Montreal was our largest city per capital. And the most well known photographic studio in Montreal was operated by Notman with branches in Ontario and down the American east coast. The studio photograph at left … Continue reading →

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mythography

Posted on June 23, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. When I was a kid, I spent a few weeks in the bush with my dad’s brother. My uncle mentioned his horse was skittish around loud noises so he returned to Ontario. “Like gunshots?”, I naively asked. My uncle … Continue reading →

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THE FRENCH-CANADIAN TRAPPER

Posted on June 22, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. It appears to me that many image collectors enjoy their finds briefly, then offer them at a bit higher price to the next collector. Some, like the owner of this image, and our own editor of the day, Bob … Continue reading →

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on the shoulders of others

Posted on June 21, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. The thing that separates us from all other species on this old ball of dirt is … learning. Humans learn from their ancestors and this learning allows us to extend knowledge, generation after generation. We photographic collectors are very … Continue reading →

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postcards from photographs

Posted on June 19, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. The photograph at left is taken from a postcard made from a photograph by W H Gardiner. It is used as the cover shot for issue  24-2. The image introduces a lengthy illustrated article by a lady who once … Continue reading →

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Marg’s camera

Posted on June 17, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. In issue 24-2 Bill Belier continued his column “A Treasure From My Collection …” with a discussion of a British Press camera – the VN Press Focal-Plane camera. This VN was picked up at one of our fairs by … Continue reading →

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