Category Archives: history

to smartphone or not to smartphone

Toronto. … with apologies to Will Shakespeare. Over many posts I have commented on using a smartphone camera. While I personally use the now out-of-date iPod Touch camera and its 8mp sensor; our Samsung smartphone sensor has a greater mp … Continue reading

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smart lens …

Toronto. We are familiar nowadays with smartphones, but what about a smart lens? Just over a century ago (1922), the lens shown here went to Australia to aid in proving a theory published in 1916. Another example of the valuable … Continue reading

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take a squint …

Toronto. … at the Logy Bay giant squid c1873. 150 years ago last month this photo of a giant squid put to rest the tales of sailors and fishermen, or so the CBC reported. The beginning of the CBC article … Continue reading

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a disastrous time

Toronto. Do you remember 1906 and the massive earthquake that hit San Francisco? As I have often said, photography brings events and history to life down through the ages. There is a fault line that runs all the way to … Continue reading

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boxer

Toronto. And here we are once again at an official boxing day! To commemorate this event, at left is an old film box camera from a recent auction lot. Box cameras are the basic camera design: a fixed focus lens … Continue reading

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t’was the night …

Toronto. Christmas eve again. That magical night loved by all children when ‘Santa’ drops by with gifts for all the children on his list. We at PHSC wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year … Continue reading

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a subjective choice

Toronto. We are about an hour’s drive from one of the world’s most famous falls – Niagara. The photo at left is from the late 1970s on Kodachrome transparency film. In spite of its slow speed and high contrast, Kodachome … Continue reading

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a true artist

Toronto. Before photography, artists used pencil, charcoal, brush, and paint to create a ‘likeness’ of a well to do person. The wealthier and more famous the person, the better he/she could afford a well known painter – a true artist. … Continue reading

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frozen in time

Toronto. Sometimes climate change uncovers a disaster from years past. In this case an event nearly 50 years old. George Dunbar came across this NY Times article (you need an account to read the original article as NYT has a … Continue reading

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for meter collectors

Toronto.  Many camera collectors also collect exposure meters and calculators. My own collection includes a handful of both. The ad shown here is from the December, 1946 LIFE magazine. George Dunbar, who generously shared it with us, found it while … Continue reading

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