90 ways to leave your job

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Robert

ad in an October, 1952 magazine to learn photography by mail

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 the buildings were so tall, he never saw the sun during the work week.

His task was to mark the student papers; answer student questions; mail out new course material; and send those who stayed with the programme and passed a certificate of their success as a newly minted bonified (Bona fide) photographer.

The above advertisement for students to the “New York Institute of Photography” was found by George Dunbar in the October, 1952 issue of Popular  Mechanics while he was digging out more photo history material.

NB. The post title is a riff on Paul Simon’s clever 1975 song, “50 Ways to Leave a Lover” sung here by Paul himself.

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capping it off

Posted on May 11, 2023 by Robert

a Digger Wasp photographed by me July 16, 2020 with an ‘auto focus’ iPod Touch (hence the slight blur)

Toronto. From the beginning of our society, we had a class of membership called ‘exchange members’. These were no different to the PHSC in objective: photography oriented. An exchange membership means an exchange of journals or newsletters rather than annual fees.

In 2005, C.A.P.A. (Canadian Association For Photographic Art) joined us. We received their latest newsletter this month. To view it, or any newsletter, or to join. Click this link.

In the May 2023 newsletter, CAPA member, Geoff Dunn, is noted for his close-up photo of a “Gold Digger Wasp”. If your interest in photography tends to the ‘Photographic Art’ aspect, Visit the CAPA site. Note that the photo at left (taken by me) is also a ‘Digger’ wasp, this time on a Cinderella Milkweed blossom.

While some stinging insects are harmful to Monarch butterflies which search out the many varieties of milk weed blossoms for nectar, fortunately the ‘Digger’ is harmless to them.

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a fabulous fair month!

Posted on May 10, 2023 by Robert

our Spring Fair c1977/8 – our NEXT Spring Fair is MAY 28th at Trident Hall (Evans/Islington)

Toronto. At left is a shot I took about 46 or so years ago at our third spring fair held at Wellesley East and Yonge here in the city. It was an exciting time for our blossoming enterprise –  camera and image collecting were new to Canada and everyone was excited.

Our three founders, John Linsky, Larry Boccioletti  and Morris Fischtein, were delighted to see how rapidly their small Photo Historical society was expanding.

We are equally enthusiastic today as our Spring Fair 2023 date (Sunday, MAY 28th) approaches. Co-ordinators Clint Hryhorijiw and Mark Singer (fair@phsc.ca) are busy logging in the table holders as others ready themselves for this event being held once again on Evans (east) and Islington (south) in the Trident Hall. Lots of free parking, Lots of food, Lots of goodies for collecting or using (film or digital user). And admission is CHEAP!

Come on down and join the fun! I will be pinning the fair poster to the top of this site shortly!

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the deep end

Posted on May 9, 2023 by Robert

a Hamilton, Ontario typing class in 1945 – photo by Superior Engravers via HPL

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 for photographic history.

Into the 1960s, typing pools were a common business facility for the larger corporations. Letters arrived by internal or external mail and were answered after the reply was written and revised a number of times over a few days including typing (draft and final). Sent by the same internal/eternal mail, a letter and its reply could easily take a week or two.

All this changed when internal email came along followed a bit later by internet email. In a ‘blink’, typewriters, standalone systems (like Wang) and typing pools disappeared to be replaced by emails sent directly by management who struggled with the complexities of computers and keyboards.

My wife and I had a few old and working typewriters, one of which was passed on to a grandson. After fiddling with the mechanical marvel, his question to his mom was, “were’s the delete key …”?

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what the heck is THAT?

Posted on May 8, 2023 by Robert

a 1902 Pope automobile driven by Dr Farmer arrives in Ancaster Township.

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 automobile to ever visit the township.

The vehicle was a Pope, made by a firm based in Hartford Connecticut and driven by it’s owner, Dr . George Farmer. Look carefully at the photograph. Just imagine the number of words it would take to describe the children, the driver, the automobile details, and the locale.

Once again we can easily see the value photographers brought to history, augmenting the text with visual presentations. This particular photograph is courtesy of the Hamilton Public Library archives.

And a big ‘thank you’ to our good friend and fellow PHSC member, George Dunbar for offering the link to the HPL archives. Remember, collectors of photographs and photo historians, don’t overlook your local archives and their potential wealth of information and photos.

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bare ruin’d choirs

Posted on May 7, 2023 by Robert

The battle of Passchendaele in Belgium in 1917

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 war-time settings.

The image at left was taken at a famous Canadian battle in Belgium during WW1. Films have been made of the WW1 conflict, poems written, books written, and plays produced. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to those brave souls who swapped a gun for a camera to record the events of the wars for future readers and viewers. You can see more images here at our war museum.

I had uncles and grandfathers in both world wars. One uncle was in the American army; the rest Canadian. Fortunately only a couple of more distant relatives died in those horrific  battles.

Food for thought: War is brutal and continues to breakout – even today. Photography is an immense help in showing us just how terrible such conflicts are. Words and drawings alone cannot convey the impact upon us all.

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bicycles can be dangerous

Posted on May 6, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Our executive meeting on Wednesday evening, May 3, 2023 was the 36th held via ZOOM. We were regaled by Celio and his tale of teaching his children to ride a bike, only to fall victim to a spill. He finally managed to get an x-ray and ultrasound plus medication. His was a horror tale about the effect of many events including COVID on our over burdened medical staff.

Our April meeting via ZOOM with Cindy Motzenbecker was the best ever attended! Note that our May Toronto meeting has been moved to THURSDAY May 18th at a local gallery for the book launch by Vincenzo Pietropaolo. Details will follow in a few days.

our executive at the 36th ZOOM meeting

Our Newsletter is still in need of a more permanent editor. Interested? Got a way with words? Then drop us an email at info@phsc.ca! Meantime, journal co-editor, David Bridge will send out a brief newsletter as soon as a few things are clarified. Nevertheless, if you would like a personal copy but haven’t joined up yet, drop me a note at news@phsc.ca.

Our membership secretary was unavailable this time. The membership report for April  will arrive shortly.

The spring auction was a big success, thanks to the many volunteers, and especially our president Clint who was both auctioneer and photographer of most of those lots I posted here on the web. Treasurer John Morden will be issuing cheques to sellers once he completes all the nitty-gritty calculations. Well done all!

Hard on the heels of the spring auction is our spring photographica-fair on SUNDAY May 28th at Trident Hall. Please join us and augment your collection – or even your user gear (film or digital). See the May posts and sidebars for current information!

Our next  journal will be out as a pdf file shortly. Co-editor David Bridge gave the exec an overview of the status and work in progress.

Spring is coming. The trees are in blossom. The grass needs cutting again.  Meantime,  the seventh wave of COVID-19 and its restrictions seem to be just a bad memory.

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a fair day in May

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Robert

back at the old haunts and day –  Sunday, May 28th

Toronto. I know it’s cold and wet this week, but in a few weeks the weather here will be warm and dry (hopefully).

With warmer times in mind, we are looking forward to our spring fair this year. The really good news is that it will be held at Trident Hall as before – and on a   Sunday – this time on May 28, 2023. Lots of parking. Lots of food. Lots of great things.

See Clint or Mark for table reservations. Those without tables are most welcome to visit and browse for additions to their collections or even user items for both film mavens and the digital folk.

More details and a poster will go up here later in the month.

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history’s little helper

Posted on May 4, 2023 by Robert

1987 book on the 1985 discovery of the Titanic lost off Newfoundland in 1912

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 results in the briny deep.

Seventy three years later, the wreck of the Titanic was found and in two years this book was published with many fabulous colour photos. For the first time we could learn about the fate of the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic and see the remains via remote photographs.

Photography came to the rescue of historical events other than ship wrecks like that of the Titanic. Over the years, line drawings illustrated books, magazine, and newspapers. And then along came photography making the line drawing more accurate. Finally a process allowed the photos to be reproduced in the printed matter. Today high resolution colour photos are routinely used both in print and in electronic media.

This was just another way that photography helped mankind, in this case recording historic events. You can buy the photos in the book but they are all copyright Getty Images and offered at rather steep prices. The book is out of print but available used. This site lists publication as 1988, but mine is a 1987 hard cover …

NB. I wrote this post thinking about Canadian balladeer Gordon Lightfoot who died May 1, 2023. Here is Gord singing, “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” which I have on a CD.

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keen photos

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Robert

Violet Keene Perinchief, African Appeal, Phyllis Marshall, ca. 1935, gelatin silver print with hand retouching. The Minna Keene and Violet Keene Perinchief Collection, The Image Centre, Gift of the Sturrup Family, 2020

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 that holding called ‘African Appeal’ taken by Violet Keene Perinchief. The image is a gift in 2020 by the Sturrup Family.

Photographs by both mother and daughter have appeared in our journal over the years. To see the actual photos, drop in at the TIC (if these images interest you, join the TIC email list).

My thanks to my good friend, George Dunbar. George suggested the Minna and Violet link to the TIC. Thanks,

 

 

 

 

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