Category Archives: history

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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an easy way to try film

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. An easy way to see if you like the look of film-based prints is to pick up a disposable camera! How-to Geek recently posted an article titled, “How Do Disposable Cameras Work, and Why Do They Still Exist?”. The … Continue reading →

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if so inclined

Posted on November 8, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Various incline and funicular railways were built to allow families with small children, plus the elderly, the frail, and the casual walkers to ride in comfort from one steep height to another – usually a few hundred feet. Often … Continue reading →

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what’s in a name

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. … or so Will Shakespeare is credited as writing in his famous tragedy about star-crossed young teen lovers. I thought of Alberta as home of the famous Tar Sands when I was a kid. By the 1960s, the sands … Continue reading →

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