Category Archives: history

take ’em … make ’em

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Smartphone users likely never bothered with film, photo paper, gooey darkroom stuff, etc. But at one time it was the only way to take and make photos. For the frugal amongst us back then, photographic manufacturers from time to … Continue reading →

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exploring history

Posted on November 25, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. George Dunbar enjoys writing to editors. I can remember the first letter I saw in the Globe and Mail many years ago. In this particular case, George wrote to the editor about the Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL) Museum’s article in the … Continue reading →

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where the big boys are

Posted on November 24, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Post war serious photographers migrated to the 2-1/4 inch format on 120 roll film. Instead of 120, Kodak had a proprietary 620 version. The short lived Chevron (1953-1956) was Kodak’s high end camera replacing the massive Medalist which was … Continue reading →

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the long and the short of it

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. In the late 1800s, dime store museums  all had so called freak shows. The people featured in these shows often frequented nearby studios. One such studio at 229 the Bowery in east New York City, was operated by Chas … Continue reading →

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a different flashlight …

Posted on November 22, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. In the 1950s, one of the big fresh eggs was the portable electronic flash. Mind you the cost would buy a lifetime-plus of flash bulbs and guns for most serious or beginning amateurs. In the December, 1955 issue of … Continue reading →

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combatting deep fakes

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Unless you have being living ‘off the grid’, you have heard about artificial intelligence (AI) and deep fakes. Even TV programs have addressed the issue where a ‘deep fake’ is made by using images of a person and possession(s) … Continue reading →

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fingering the press

Posted on November 19, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. An honourable branch of photography is news photography. While many news photographers work for a specific newspaper or agency, many are  free lance. Of the group, a small subset caters to shooting celebrities incessantly and trying to flog the … Continue reading →

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moon shot

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. The year my first child was born, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. It was an exciting time for all. And photography proved its worth by capturing space images on the moon, not earth. Years earlier, I learnt in … Continue reading →

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I’se the b’y that writes the book …

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. In 1949, Newfoundland and Labrador formed the last and 10th province of Canada, Joey Smallwood as head of Newfoundland negotiated the transfer of this beautiful and rugged land from England control to Canada. 1941 saw a brief history with … Continue reading →

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a Keene sense of subjects

Posted on November 10, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Our resident photo historian, George Dunbar, dropped me a note the other day after he browsed the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) website. George writes, “The Photography and bio of Minna Keene are found on this National Gallery of … Continue reading →

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