Category Archives: history

dancing with mr stanhope

Posted on December 4, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Did you know that microfilm images have been around since the beginning of photography? The role of John Dancer is recorded on the Collectors Weekly website under an article called, “Royalty, Espionage, and Erotica: Secrets of the World’s Tiniest Photographs … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on dancing with mr stanhope

making a brighter day

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. In today’s world of smart phone ‘auto everything’ cameras, it is hard to imagine sensors so slow that sharp outdoor action shots are a no-no. But in the late 1940s, colour film was just that. Its sensitivity was abysmally … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on making a brighter day

getting to know you

Posted on December 2, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. In the days of print, camera makers, photographic chemistry manufacturers, studios, etc. used printed media to promote their wares. In fact George Dunbar has used the various magazine ads and articles of yesteryear as a source of photographic history. … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on getting to know you

when we thought ten pounds was light …

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. In this day of smart phones, it’s hard to imagine an accessory that was about 10 pounds in weight and a six inch square ten inches high with a flashgun stuck on the top and a tripod thread stuck … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , | Comments Off on when we thought ten pounds was light …

the importance of being fixed

Posted on November 25, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. By 1802, the sensitivity of silver halides to light was known in scientific circles. Thomas Wedgwood managed to make ‘photograms‘ – silhouettes on leather but could not make the photograms permanent. The delicate images – even kept in darkness … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on the importance of being fixed

disappearing heirlooms

Posted on November 24, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. We have all seen Victorian Photo Albums chock full of CDVs etc. at fairs, auctions, and sometimes used goods stores. The albums came along around the mid 1800s when cheap CDVs became available and a place to store and … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on disappearing heirlooms

celebrity endorsements

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. In the early days of minicams, makers used explorers and others who demanded perfection under extreme conditions. Post war. celebrities became popular in ads as if they used the cameras shown. Naive folk seeing the ad might choose a … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on celebrity endorsements

before TV; before video;

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. … we had home movies. Originally 16mm, during the depression Kodak began selling 8mm versions and post war in a scramble to expand market size and improve image quality, Kodak moved to ‘Super 8’. In the late 1930s, Kodachrome … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on before TV; before video;

days of war surplus photo supplies and gear

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Some of us may remember the days when the local war surplus store had stocks of photo paper, film, chemicals, equipment, etc. at big discounts since the cost was already paid once by tax dollars. This November, 1947 American … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on days of war surplus photo supplies and gear

a beacon in the dark

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Another American company, Whitehouse Products, in Brooklyn took a shot at the American photography market with its cheap plastic camera, the Beacon. The Beacon was simply a box camera tarted up like a minicam. It retailed for about 8 … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on a beacon in the dark