Category Archives: history

lunch anyone?

Posted on October 30, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Our secretary, Louise Freyburger, was browsing the news Friday when she came across an article on CTV News about old cameras discovered recently  in a Yukon glacier in the KLUANE NATIONAL PARK AND RESERVE.  A cache of equipment belonging to … Continue reading →

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Fred’s Back

Posted on October 29, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Most places have their famous artists. In Vancouver’s case, it was photographer Fred Herzog who took street shots of that city in the last century. The Guardian featured Fred in an article titled, “Lost Vancouver – in pictures“. The … Continue reading →

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shining Leitz on the human condition

Posted on October 27, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Before photography, we relied on paintings and sketches, like those of Hogarth in 18th century London, to depict the human condition. Later in the 19th century when photography found its legs, some enterprising photographers, like Mathew Brady  (American civil … Continue reading →

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all things to all people

Posted on October 25, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Mid last century we called Kodak, “The Great Yellow Father”. Kodak was everywhere. To think photography was to think Kodak. Sure other companies touted their photographic wares but Kodak was photography to so many of us. The above advertisement … Continue reading →

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remembrance day next month

Posted on October 22, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. As a kid in grade school we held a special remembrance each November 11th. The ritual was emphasized in high school with Vimy Ridge models, the ‘In Flanders Fields’ poem, minute of silence, pin-on poppy, etc. George Dunbar spotted … Continue reading →

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a bridge too far …

Posted on October 21, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. The other day, George Dunbar sent me an article on the Lethbridge, Alberta ‘High Level Bridge’ over the ‘Oldman River Valley’. The article is illustrated with a photo by the late Toronto photographer Jane Hinton (1936-2020). Some of Ms … Continue reading →

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sometimes a camera is really special

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Take for example the camera in this 1934 advertisement. Two years earlier in 1932, Kodak began marketing a new smaller film format for the family ‘movie’ photographer  starting out during the great depression when money and jobs were so … Continue reading →

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time gentlemen please

Posted on October 18, 2022 by Robert

Toronto.  For decades companies would rebadge fancy watches for sales staff and other folk, As a youth, I bought a Bulova Accutron which is a mechanism driven by a tuning fork in turn driven by a transistor. Companies like Amanda … Continue reading →

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trey trays

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. In the glory days of film photography anyone in the know would have or have the use of a darkroom to develop black and white prints. Common to almost all darkrooms was a trio of trays. The first held … Continue reading →

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cheap shot

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Sometimes when you can’t offer better specs, you can suggest the offering has many pieces. I fell for this gambit as a kid. I bought a “computer” from NYC which was touted as having 100s of parts. Turned out … Continue reading →

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