Category Archives: history

what’s in a name?

Posted on May 18, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. A brand name denotes the style and quality of a company’s products. Post war, an American foundation was incorporated to promote national or international names over small local firms. The foundation was called, “Brand Names Foundation, Inc.” and was … Continue reading →

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to do or not to do …

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. In the vast number of antique photos in archives, libraries, collections, or available for purchase, many have suffered the slings and arrows of time – fading, foxing, bent, broken, torn or worse.  When modern digital technology came along, it … Continue reading →

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careful, Helen – there may be gifts here

Posted on May 14, 2023 by Robert

Toronto.  A December 1952 ad for Kodak is a two page spread of photography gifts for the budding amateur shutter-bug. Like all photo industry firms, Kodak worked hard to expand their market share. In this case by augmenting the potential … Continue reading →

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in the dark of the night

Posted on May 13, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Post war, everyone in the photographic industry strived to gain new photographers; none more than Kodak. Gearing up for their Christmas 1952 trade, this Kodak ad in the October, 1952 issue of Popular Mechanics promoted the idea that darkroom … Continue reading →

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90 ways to leave your job

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Some years ago one of our founders, Larry Boccioletti, spent a miserable year in NYC as the hired head of a mail order photography programme. Larry said in all the time in Manhattan, he worked such long hours, and … Continue reading →

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the deep end

Posted on May 9, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. As I noted in the previous post, local libraries and archives are helpful to photo collectors. The sample here of a 1945 typing class held in Hamilton, Ontario is courtesy of George Dunbar and his diligent searches on line … Continue reading →

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what the heck is THAT?

Posted on May 8, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Today, we take automobiles (a.k.a cars) for granted. But at the beginning of the last century cars were a novelty seldom seen outside cities.  Around 1902, an automobile visited Ancaster Township in Ontario (Hamilton area).  It was the first … Continue reading →

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bare ruin’d choirs

Posted on May 7, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Anyone who studied Shakespeare will recognize the title of  this post as part of a line from one of his sonnets (#73). It is fitting to use it in a post noting the importance of photography and photographers in … Continue reading →

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history’s little helper

Posted on May 4, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. When I was a little kid, I looked at my uncle’s books in awe. One was a story of the Titanic – mostly text with some line drawings. After the ship sank, the author could only speculate on the … Continue reading →

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keen photos

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. TMU (a.k.a. Ryerson) has an innovative gallery called, “The Image Centre“. Their exhibition until this summer features many photographers. Their collections include a Canadian mother-daughter team, “Minna Keene and Violet Keene Perinchief“. Shown at left is an example of … Continue reading →

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