
mid 20th century ad for Kalart’s flash gun and synchronizer for older amateur cameras predating flash
Toronto. In the mid last century after WW2, flash bulb photography became popular for shooting the very slow media at night or indoors. This avoided using either very slow speeds, or the somewhat intimidating and restraining AC photo flood lamps.
While the availability of cheap flash bulbs was very timely, there was a problem. Many people had and still used older cameras without either ‘synchronized for flash’ shutters, or flash guns.
Into the breech stepped a company called Kalart – known for accessories aimed at the more professional user. This ad from the December, 1951 issue of Popular Mechanics shows the scope of the novel flash gun and synchronizer offered by Kalart.
Thanks to good friend and PHSC member George Dunbar for suggesting this ad and Kalart.
Note: The title of this post is a play on the song, Jim Dandy. The song, also known as “JimDandy to the Rescue“, is sung here by the, “Black Oak Arkansas” group back in 1965.