Category Archives: history

a tale of two ads

Posted on June 6, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. That persistent seeker of photo history, George Dunbar, spotted these ads by Kodak while browsing issues of Popular Science. George thought it interesting that Kodak chose to feature a young lady carrying an autographic Kodak camera in its January … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on a tale of two ads

casting away

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. When I was a kid around the end of WW2, my dad took me to visit a relative who had a metal casting business, Bill made sailing ship lights, ‘doggie’ banks, souvenir lights, etc. like the sailing ship light … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on casting away

photography and real estate? really?

Posted on June 3, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Real estate is a huge user of photography, even today. In the 1930s, Realtors like CYRIL R. DEMARA CO. LTD. would own engraved cameras (the engraving shown is on a 1937 Leica IIIa). Others then and now would choose … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , | Comments Off on photography and real estate? really?

for the record

Posted on June 2, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. One very special use of photography is recording problems for insurance or police. We often think of portraiture, street scenes and landscapes, but this important function gives visual detail not easily conveyed by the written word. Disasters like this … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , | Comments Off on for the record

another one bites the dust

Posted on June 1, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Well, May 2o23 is but a memory. I guess the late Freddie Mercury said it  best (just ignore how he looks). Speaking of closeups, capturing photos of tiny objects at life size or even larger takes extra care with … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on another one bites the dust

computer to the rescue

Posted on May 31, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. In the early 1950s we were blessed with very costly and very crude computers (and little idea of how they could be used). A decade later, massive ‘mechanization’ projects were underway to use computers to do the work of … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on computer to the rescue

snapshots and history

Posted on May 30, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Snapshots are photographs usually taken by amateurs, often by the only person in the family who routinely records events and family members. Without such photographs, we may not remember how family members looked as they grew. If not captured, … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on snapshots and history

Volleyball, anyone?

Posted on May 29, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Most of us can remember the photograph in the late 1800s showing dignitaries at “the last spike” in the CPR line connecting BC with the rest of Canada without need to detour down into the States. In this case, … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Volleyball, anyone?

trying for the gravy train

Posted on May 27, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. When TV hit the big time, radio and movies were predicted to die. Fortunately both survived TV. In any case companies relying on the movies tried to expand their market by hopping on the TV bandwagon. Among them was … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , | Comments Off on trying for the gravy train

when ‘BC’ meant battery-capacitor

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. One of the nagging things affecting the wide use of flash bulbs was the risk of having dying batteries when the old camera and flash were dug out to be used for an event. For a brief period of … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on when ‘BC’ meant battery-capacitor