Category Archives: history

what on earth is a FLOTEMAR

Posted on July 17, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. The late John Kantymir and his father both collected cameras – some very rare. One camera John came across simply had the name “FLOTEMAR” embossed on its base. No other name or country was indicated. A Google search was … Continue reading →

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a metal miniature camera

Posted on July 16, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. Many of us think miniature cameras stem from the 1920s when the Leica was announced but there were many earlier ones. In this case it is a French camera named after Monsieur Marion, and sold around 1885. The late … Continue reading →

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bulls eye!

Posted on July 15, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. In issue 38-3 we reproduce Frank B. Mehlenbacher’s well researched tale of the world’s largest camera manufacturer and its connection with Kodak in Rochester. The manufacturer, Brownell, was born in Ontario and moved to the States when he was … Continue reading →

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pre dating the reflex

Posted on July 13, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. Camera makers could design a camera that used a lens to view and a second one to capture the scene, but did not know how to name the design. The term “divided camera’ fell flat and the term ‘reflex’ … Continue reading →

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pas de duex

Posted on July 10, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. The late Stan White chose to highlight the little Kodak Duex camera in the column “A Treasure from my Collection”. Only retailed for a couple of years, the Duex was an ugly duckling to camera collectors. Stan begins the … Continue reading →

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Dag-nab-it again

Posted on July 9, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. In journal issue 38-2, an article titled, “MATTHEW ISENBURG’S Collection Comes to Toronto” penned by our late editor Bob Lansdale expands on the then recent press release. Bob writes, “The Matthew R. Isenburg Collection of early photography has been … Continue reading →

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kidding around …

Posted on July 8, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. … in the 1870s. Hard to imagine, but this crisp, well exposed portrait of a little girl is over 150 years old! Many prints this old – or far younger – have succumbed to fading,  lost detail, etc. This … Continue reading →

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triple tengor tango

Posted on July 7, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. After WW1, the German camera industry was in a crisis – too many companies making too many cameras that were very similar. The government invited  Zeiss to  the dance and the mighty Zeiss-Ikon was formed. Zeiss Ikon and a … Continue reading →

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soft subject, soft lighting

Posted on July 6, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. An unidentified writer (our editor?) said in a prelude to the article “Wither Soft Light of the 1930s …” “I’ve been perplexed for years by certain lighting of nudes during the pictorial period. I don’t make any great study … Continue reading →

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colour! colour! colour!

Posted on July 5, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. Like Leonardo before him, a Frenchman came up with all the ways to create colour photography long before technology made them possible. One concept was to catch the image simultaneously on three B&W plates, each plate exposed through a … Continue reading →

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