dance with me, Henry

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Robert

world’s largest dance hall in 1914 on Bois Blanc (White Wood) Island in Ontario

Toronto. You may be surprised that in 1914, the world’s largest dance hall was in Canada! The island,  a popular resort today, is a bit south of Windsor, Ontario.

This photo and the related story were discovered by my good friend and fellow photo-historian, George Dunbar. George writes, “I’d never before heard of this, the World’s Largest Dance Hall.”. More information and photos are here on the Canadian Geographic web site.

The title for this post is a 1955 song sung here by Georgia Gibbs. I can remember listening to the catchy tune on our old kitchen radio back then.

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not all bees buzz …

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Robert

Wood Bee in c1899 by F B Jones courtesy of the Cramahe Twp. Public  Library

Toronto. My good friend, George Dunbar, sent over this century plus photo with the following words, “This image was published in How Firm a Foundation: A History of the Township of Cramahe and the Village of Colborne in Cramahe’s Digital Archives (3bk), p.114. The caption reads: ‘Wood bee at Salem, 1899’.

“In early settlement days, neighbours often got together to help one another with big projects. These lumbermen were photographed by Dominion Photo and View Co. of Brighton, F.B. Jones, photographer. —Cramahe Township Public Library”

I am familiar with rural community ‘bees’ from readings as a kid. An aunt and uncle on a farm brought in the wheat one year during my visit with my parents. They used machines jointly paid for by them and neighbouring farmers who pitched in at each farm to help with the labour. Team effort! As a small-town kid, I was fascinated just watching the work.

Note: For those unfamiliar with Cramahe Township, here is the location courtesy of Google’s map feature. It sits between the eastern end of Rice Lake and Lake Ontario near Colborne (west)and Brighton (east).

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Auction Sunday April 30, 2023

Posted on April 16, 2023 by Robert

Spring 2023 Auction this April 30th

Toronto.  Spring is here and it’s Auction time again! Our spring INDOOR AUCTION is on TODAY, April 30th, 2022 down in the Long Branch area of Toronto at the usual venue BUT at a slightly later time (see poster) – free parking and free admission.

This General and Estate (Consignment) Auction features goodies for both film and digital folk – photographs, cameras, lenses, accessories, books, and more. Come out and enjoy this event while adding to your collection or user gear! Click on the AUCTION tab here or in the menu bar above for directions.

Everybody is welcome. Consignment lots at the door or in advance.  Lots are both general  and ESTATE – really good items, some rare these days. First come first serve.

We owe a big thanks to Clint for photographing the lot examples shown here (samples were added as they arrived – second batch uploaded of films and some darkroom stuff – third batch uploaded – and the fourth batch – and a final fifth   batch with a lot of Nikon lenses!). Click on the photo below, then on the beautiful NIKON 200mm lens, and then on any lot icon to see it larger. Your left/right arrows will work to move from one enlarged photo to another. NB If you see a red tag, it’s the lot number. Enjoy!

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an instant collection

Posted on April 16, 2023 by Robert

an instant camera collection courtesy of Petapixel

Toronto. Les Jones sent along an interesting note the other day from a Terry and Kim Kovel (the auction folks) newsletter. Dated April 12th, the Kovels article is called, “Take a Picture: More than 1,000 Cameras Found in Abandoned Storage Locker“. The news article was attributed to Petapixel.

The Petapixel article is by Michael Zhang dated February 27th and titled, “Couple Finds Trove of 2,000 Cameras and Lenses in Storage Unit“.

The find was down in Massachusetts and either the Kovel or Petapixel version is a good read.

A big thanks to Les for suggesting the Kovels link. Les is talented himself as both a sports photographer and author. Les has held many positions in the PHSC, not the least of which was president. Instant collection, anyone?

 

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dem plates, dem plates, dem dry plates

Posted on April 15, 2023 by Robert

illustration from Shannon Perry’s article in Scientia Canadensis (44-1 2022)

Toronto. Member Jeff Ward from up Halifax way writes, “A correspondent informed me that the issue of Scientia Canadensis devoted to photography and science is now available online.”

The issue was edited by guest editor Joan Schwartz and featured some or the people who once spoke at a PHSC monthly meeting (including Dr Schwartz).

The magazine link is here on érudit. A menu bar item lets you switch to French (FR) if you so desire. The article links are not especially obvious – just click on the article title (a hand appears before you click). There is some precis etc. text, and the article comes up in what looks like the Google reader. You can down load each article in PDF format.

Note. The post title is a riff on an old American Negro spiritual, “Dem Bones” which I heard sung on the radio when I was a kid.

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the last of the Naturalists’

Posted on April 14, 2023 by Robert

a 1921 Graflex Naturalists’ camera courtesy of Thomas Evans and the Grafiex Journal issue 1-23

Toronto. Ken Metcalf down in North Carolina sent me a copy of the current Graflex Journal (first issue for 2023). In this issue, Tom Evans has an article on an oversize, robust Graflex camera made in the years 1907 to 1921.

The camera was specially designed for the long focal lenses needed by Naturalists to view the birds etc. from a distance as if they were far closer.

Learn about other Graflex cameras in their many variations by viewing past issues of the journal here. And check out the other sections of the website by beginning here.

Note: The post title is a riff on James Fenimore Cooper‘s 1826 novel,  “The Last of the Mohicans“. I had this as a high school book review – some kids used a comic book version … . The copyright on many books back then had long expired (this book, The Spy, Black Beauty, Hans Brinker, etc.) and very cheap versions were sold in small shops as ideal stories for children.

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far, far, away

Posted on April 13, 2023 by Robert

an elderly couple living in a small Ontario town. Photo taken around the late 1940s or early 1950s

Toronto. We have it soft today. Sources of photos, cameras, film, darkroom, etc. abound – like our auction this month. Today, film has largely been replaced by digital technology and the ubiquitous smartphone camera.

Digital images give ‘instant gratification’. Little or no extra effort. No delay. Full color. Poor shot? Snap it again.  Digital formats make annotating and searching so much better, but a terrible future cost.

Picture a researcher, professional or amateur, in the future. Few paper brochures or photos exist. Lots of material and images were produced ‘way back then’ but digital media and files are not physically touchable; viewable with human eyes. Now what?

Lots can go wrong over time: file formats may change, technology can disappear, images become unrecoverable. Old fashioned hard drives and SSDs found in junk shops or antique markets are long dead (current estimates are for a useable life of less than a decade). The images, if any remain, are millions of ones and zeros. Continue reading →

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cheaper by the yard …

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Our meeting number 36 by ZOOM (3 years). It’s hard to imagine that just days ago we were still struggling with a nasty winter. As I write this (on the 9th of April) many folks up Ottawa way and over in Southern Quebec (and Montreal) are still in the dark with a severe ice storm earlier causing a lingering power failure due to serious infrastructure damage.

The photo below is a screen grab courtesy of our programme director now located in the relatively balmy city of Windsor.

screen grab courtesy of our programme director

 

Please note our newsletter needs an editor. Meantime, journal co-editor, David Bridge will send out a brief newsletter in April to announce a few key events. If you would like a personal copy but haven’t joined yet, just drop me a note at news@phsc.ca.

Our membership secretary was unavailable. In his absence president Clint reviewed our current membership. Clint noted that we added two new members this month.

The monthly meeting for April has been posted here and will feature an interesting talk on ‘Vintage Occupational Photographs” by MiPHS own Cindy Motzenbecker. We are holding a consignment/member auction on April 30th with lots potentially accepted at the door. Early lots with photos will be posted here along with dates, etc. later this month.

Our next  journal is well underway and will be out as a pdf file (in April or May). Note that it has been decided to move the journal from hard copy to PDF files (more pages, full colour) so be sure you include a working and frequently read email address when you join or renew.

Just smell that spring! Buds promise tree leaves by May. And COVID19 seems to be but a nasty memory for most of us.

PS. Do you like cameras, photos, etc.? Got some spare time on your hands? Well tell us! We can always use help for our many endeavours and positions. Remember, we are a society run by volunteers. Do your part. We can be reached via info@phsc.ca .

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first the film …

Posted on April 11, 2023 by Robert

revolution in photo lens design

Toronto. … and now the lens? The idea of using a digital sensor rather than a film coated with a sensitive medium revolutionized photography.

Before digital technology as we know it today, fax machines and television were (and still are) capable of sending photographs or videos to remote locations for viewing.  They suffer from being monochrome (fax) and relatively lower resolution (both).

Now it is time for the lens design to be revolutionized. Russ Forfar, my friend from up Owen Sound way, sent me a link to an article on the Freethink website titled, “New salt-grain sized micro camera takes images on par with a full size camera’s“. Or as Randy Bachman sang, “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet“.

It is amazing just how much photography has changed since I first learnt the art. Darkrooms and delays have been replaced by full colour and instantaneous positive views from right here or worlds away! What next?

 

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we’ve been everywhere

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Robert

Early 2012 MRI of neck blood vessels

Toronto. Today photography is everywhere. So much so that we take it for granted. The Moon, Mars, wars, famine, poverty, art, portraits, books, magazines, television, smartphones, medical, and on it goes.

Without photography we would have no visual record of people, events, and places. In the metal plate, glass plate, and film era, one had to be there and wait for processing to view an image.

As digital technology evolved, be it fax, television, cameras, medical imaging, or smartphones, we were severed from the creation of the image and could see images remotely. Photography is so pervasive today that it is taken for granted by most people. Only when we see truly remarkable photographs do we realize a professional photographer used his skill to capture the moment.

Note: To title this post, I did a riff on the 1959 world-wide song, “I’ve been everywhere” which originated in Australia and has lyrics adapted by singers in many countries including the states and Canada. Here is a rendition by Stomping’ Tom down at the Horseshoe Tavern on Queen Street West here.

 

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