Category Archives: history

steady there, lad

Posted on April 13, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. For a large part of photographic history, the media was so abysmally slow a tripod was necessary plus a means to steady subjects. To  this end, Charlie Kruger offered a light, handy support adjustable for a realistic pose. One … Continue reading →

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searching for a house

Posted on April 8, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. The cover shot on issue 23-1 features a horse and coach caught by a daguerreotype camera. An article inside titled, “A SEARCH FOR THE ALBION HOUSE” by the late Graham Garrett explains the reason for the cover shot. Graham’s … Continue reading →

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jimmy’s back in town

Posted on April 6, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. In issue 22-5, Part 1 of Dr Reichstein’s article on James Inglis appeared. Issue 23-1 continues the story with Part 2. Part 2 begins, “The decade of the eighties [1880s] was to be one of extraordinary activity for Inglis. … Continue reading →

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cameras, cameras, everywhere …

Posted on April 4, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. … and not a print in sight. Shades of smartphones. Last century, when film was in its prime, people argued which camera maker or model was the best and who made the best lenses. As Don Douglas put it … Continue reading →

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picture of a beetle

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. This article is an example of exchange content that editor Lansdale felt would interest our members. As such, this example is reprinted  in our journal with permission from the Club Rollei magazine back in early 1997 (issue 22-5). The … Continue reading →

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Jimmy Inglis of Montreal

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. One of the Canadian photographers in the mid 1800s was Inglis. The photo at left carries the cut-line, “This photograph by James Inglis of Montreal, appeared as a tipped-in frontispiece in the Philadelphia Photographer of November 1866. Editor E.L. Wilson suggested the title “Right still, … Continue reading →

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watch da birdie!

Posted on March 29, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. In the days when emulsions were slow, decent photos needed a few seconds of absolute stillness by the subject. To help, studios added a mechanical ‘bird’ to their camera and for portraits (especially of children) the photographer would exclaim … Continue reading →

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mighty mouse in stereo

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. At our fall 1996 fair, the late Bob Lansdale took a number of interesting items back to his ‘mini studio’ and photographed them for issue 22-4 of the journal. In the case of the tiny viewer at left, Bob … Continue reading →

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The Henry Morgan Collection

Posted on March 27, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. Have you ever heard of “The Henry Morgan Collection of Photographic Portraits”? No? In issue 22-4 member Thomas Ritchie wrote an article on the collection. He begins by saying, “A large collection of photographs of eminent Canadians, held in storage for … Continue reading →

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rock of ages

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. One of the first old cameras I acquired was a lensless field camera made by the Rochester Optical Co. I was given a lenses (in a shutter) later in Montreal which I added to the camera using a home-made … Continue reading →

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