watching you

Posted on August 20, 2022 by Robert

ad for American military binoculars made by Universal Camera Corp

Toronto. The premiere binoculars pre WW2 were brands like Leitz or Zeiss or Ross. When the war broke out export of the binoculars ceased and they became military assets.

This left the US struggling with its locally made products. Fortunately, when WW2 hit them, the mighty American industry quickly switched from consumers to military. A contract for binoculars was established with the Universal Camera Corporation  as shown in the above summer 1943 ad that ran in Popular Mechanics. Before and after WW2, Universal were best known for their some what quirky cameras like the 1/2 frame 35mm Mercury still camera.

A big thank you goes to my good friend, George Dunbar, for finding and sharing this interesting piece of photographic history. Drop in to our Saturday, October 1, 2022 fair (Photographica-fair) at the Trident centre on Evans at Islington – who knows, you might even find a Mercury for your collection.

The name of this post is from a Hall and Oates song called Private Eyes. I first heard the song as a theme for the excellent Toronto based detective program of the same name featuring Cindy Sampson and Jason Priestley as the two ‘private eyes’.

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a screwy standard

Posted on August 19, 2022 by Robert

combination 1/4 and 3/8 screw from Leitz large ball and socket head 14121

Toronto. Standards mean repairs can be made outside the factory. They also mean third parties can make accessories that will fit products from many makers. This applies to photography too. You can usually mount a camera to any tripod. Accessories including electronic flash can be mounted on any camera with an accessory shoe. You can even buy lenses made by others that fit your camera. This is all thanks to standards.

Having said that, you may have seen a camera or accessory at one of our events (next fall fair is Saturday, October 1st) with what looks like an oversize threaded tripod socket.  That is because tripod screws and sockets have two  standards. A 1/4-20 screw and socket is pretty much universal for smaller cameras. A larger 3/8-16 was intended for large (i.e. professional) cameras. These standards were set a few decades after the dawn of the art by the Royal Photographic Society. (Initially there was a third standard – a 3/16-24 thread which is smaller than the 1/4-20 that became universal for small cameras.)

An adaptor with a 3/8-16 outer thread and a 1/4-20 inner thread converts a camera with the larger socket to the smaller tripod screw. Some firms like Leitz used a clever design to provide both standards on one device (like my 14121 Large Ball and Socket head). Alternatively a separate code was used for an accessory provided in either thread size (eg older ball and socket heads).

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bravely optimistic

Posted on August 18, 2022 by Robert

An Argus ad mid 1943 looks optimistically to the future

Toronto. The summer of 1943 found America at war on two fronts: in Europe against the onslaught of Hitler and in the Pacific against Hirohito and the Japanese. At this time, native American industries swung over to war production with an eye to actions post war. The American photographic and optical industries made a strong case for replacing the German photographic and optical industries after the war.

With much chest thumping like that of Argus, the American industries expected to take over the market occupied pre war by the mighty German industry, but sadly it was not to be. America and Germany battled head to head and the Americans and Allies were successful in defeating the Germans in Europe and the Japanese in the Pacific.

Briefly the sun shone post war on the American industries, but soon the Germans took over once again and to the shock of both countries, Japanese industries thrashed them where it hurt – in retail sales! Typical of the war time optimism is that of Argus and International Industries as shown in this ad from Popular Mechanics, displayed here thanks the generosity of George Dunbar and his curiosity. Well done, George!

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a TLR box camera

Posted on August 17, 2022 by Robert

1940 ad for the Kodak Brownie Reflex camera

Toronto. In July, 1940, Kodak placed an ad in Popular Mechanics announcing its new “TLR” Brownie. The camera was short lived (1940-41) but did last a decade longer as a synchronized version taking flash bulbs. Aside from the bight full-size viewfinder with its own lens, the camera has all the hallmarks of a box camera – inexpensive, fixed focus, two shutter speeds (one is ‘bulb’), etc.

The camera uses 127 film and recommends a ‘standard’ enlargement of each print (about a 2x enlargement).

The ad suggests you “take your Kodak” if a planned visit to the NY World’s Fair is in your calendar.

Thanks again to my good friend, George Dunbar, for sharing this advertisement of a rather short lived Kodak Brownie camera that used the very professional and finely engineered TLR of the day as a roll model.

 

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going full circle …

Posted on August 16, 2022 by Robert

1940 article on a 360 degree panorama camera

Toronto. … often meant starting over as perhaps the designer of this odd panorama camera did. The article in the December, 1940 issue of Popular Mechanics describes a clock-work camera that records a full 360 degree image in fifteen seconds on just six inches of 35mm film.

The camera is suggested as an alternative for the multi-snapshots taken by police at a crime scene. While the printing of the panorama is not mentioned, I imagine a full plate or 8×10 enlarger could handle the job.

I don’t recall ever seeing such a camera, although there were many practical cameras like the Cirkut series. Perhaps the resolution was an issue when using a half foot strip of 35mm film compared to those ‘snap-shots’ likely taken on far larger negative material using a flash gun on a Speed Graphic or similar camera.

As a youth I read such ideas in various Mechanics magazines. The ideas seldom appeared in stores as marketable concepts translated into actual items for purchase. While Popular Mechanics articles usually described workable concepts, Mechanics Illustrated was notorious for using implausible filler articles. One idea I recall was a means to ‘move’ the plane of focus into the film to ‘correct’ the focus after the photo was taken and processed. In that case the film was in a movie projector…

My sincere thanks to my good friend, George Dunbar, for sharing his research with us, especially on these ‘dog days’ of summer.

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Duex Redux

Posted on August 15, 2022 by Robert

Deux Duex cameras from a 1940 ad

Toronto. The ad in the August, 1940 issue of Popular Mechanics brought to mind the camera Mark Singer presented at our Show and Tell meeting a couple of years back. The little inexpensive camera was only marketed in 1940-1942.

Kodak, no stranger to collapsible, compact cameras, used the fact this camera had a lens that could be collapsed into the body (shades of Leica) as a key pitch in its advertisement. The camera was introduced months before America was dragged into WW2 and taken off market months after America joined the Allies.

The ad shown above is courtesy of my good friend and fellow PHSC member, George Dunbar. We are very grateful that George shares some of his photo history research with others.

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projecting a colourful 3D display

Posted on August 14, 2022 by Robert

Viewing in 3D dual transparencies projected in colour – one view for each eye. in colour

Toronto. This article appeared in the September, 1940 issue of Popular Mechanics just a few years after Kodachrome arrived for 35mm transparencies created by an ordinary 35mm camera. Now these slides could be taken ready for 3D and projected so a room of people could experience the slides at once.

We in the PHSC thought nothing about using polaroid glasses in cardboard frames to view 3D slides presented by members Stan White or Paul Pasquarello. But in 1940 they were very special since prior to that time slides were black and white, or drawings viewed by one person at a time with a special hand-held viewer.

A thank you to my good friend and photo history researcher for sharing this article with us.

 

 

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see you in Montreal October 16th

Posted on August 13, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Montrealer and friend Sol Hadef sent me a note with this poster. Pre COVID, Sol was a regular table holder at our fairs and a member of the PHSC. Montreal is a beautiful city in the fall. I went to University there and my children were born there. Have a look at the poster for details and enjoy La Montreal, even if you stay in the west end where the show will be held. Details? Table? drop Sol at note at solhadef@gmail.com

Montreal Camera Show – October 16, 2022

 

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faking a fading light

Posted on August 12, 2022 by Robert

asccessory for clever fades between scenes

Toronto. Earlier this year we discussed movie fades in relation to a polarizing filter set that could be affixed to many movie lenses for 8mm or 16mm cameras (a May 1940 article). A few month earlier, in October, 1939 another device was announced for use on most movie cameras. This gizmo was slowly closed with a cable release to do a fadein and reversed by slowly easing the release.

This allowed the amateur to ape the professional by using fades to end/begin a scene. The ad itself is a bit confusing since the film strip next to the gadget shows a sharp vignette,  – something perhaps not possible with such an attachment. The idea is certainly of interest and our thanks to my good friend, George Dunbar for once again sharing some of the results of his research.

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it pays to advertise (again) …

Posted on August 11, 2022 by Robert

Dec 1939 article on a unique photography retailer’s store front

Toronto. … or so they say. There are many innovative ways to advertise and this article found by my good friend, George Dunbar, who shared it here with us, shows oner example.

In the December, 1939 issue of Popular Mechanics, an article described how a Los Angeles camera retailer created a store front modelled after a miniature camera. While I don’t recall photo shops with fancy fronts,  I can remember a place on Decarie Boulevard above Queen Mary Road in Montreal that was shaped and coloured like a giant orange. The retailer sold Orange Juleps! With its shape and colour, it was hard to miss even though it was on the ‘wrong’ side of Decarie.

We have seen older automobiles or trucks driven around with what appears to be a giant camera to advertise a photographer/photo service. And  years earlier store signs were often shaped to identify the main business conducted therein. Some stores carry on this tradition even today – remember barber poles, pawn shop balls, etc.

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