HI FOLKS
DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER THIS WEEKEND
AND THE FORECAST FOR HEAVY SNOW THIS SUNDAY, JAN 25th
OUR AUCTION HAS BEENED MOVED TO FEB 15, 2026
AT THE SAME PLACE. A NEW POSTER WILL GO LIVE TONIGHT
THE PHSC APOLOGIZES FOR THE POSSIBLE INCONVENIENCE
STAY WARM!
lot 355 -a Voigtlander Superb TLR from the 1930s
Toronto. Most cameras/negatives produce a rectangular image but some do not. Instead, the photographer can expose for the square image, or visualize a landscape or portrait print.
One issue with smaller cameras was the ‘squinty’ viewfinder. To solve this issue, one camera design evolved to a viewfinder as big as the negative creating the famous twin lens reflex camera (TLR).
However; solving one problem raised another: the camera was almost impossible to use on its side. This was solved by making the negative format square eliminated the need to hold the camera sideways.
IMPORTANT: OUR AUCTION WAS RESCHEDULED TO FEB 15th DUE TO BAD WEATHER. A typical TLR is the Voigtländer Superb (lot 355). This and a few other TLRs will be offered at our February 15th auction. Come on down to our first 2026 event and bid on items that tweak your interest (collecting, using, etc.)
NB: The title of this post is a riff on Kermit the frog’s famous ditty,”It’s Not Easy Being Green“.
lot 462 – high contrast polaroid film 4×5
Toronto. At our Feb 15th auction. An example is this package of 4×5 film by polaroid (lot 462).IMPORTANT: OUR Jan 25th AUCTION WAS RESCHEDULED TO FEB 15th DUE TO BAD WEATHER.
Cameras and lenses old and newish are featured in the lots plus stere gear, movie gear, books, photographic accessories.
Something for everyone. and to your collection or user gear.
The auction is at the usual location – Legion Hall 101 in Long Branch (southwest area of the big smoke).
Note: The post title is a riff on a line in Arlo Guthrie’s iconic 1967 folk song, “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” sung by Arlo himself. It’s a long song but worth the time. I bought the LP of the same name when it was first released.
a c1917 ‘Violet Machine by Renulife of Detroit MI
Toronto. … an electrifying experience! In the last century inventions and innovations exploded. And with no pressure to ‘prove’ any advertised claim, it was a wild west show to make a buck.
This led to many odd ball gizmos and medicines. One example is lot 535 – a c1917 device that used electricity to ‘renew life’. In fact, it was tagged ‘Renulife’ and produced by the “Renulife Electric Co., in Detroit, MI”.
They made their machine called the “Violet Ray Health Generator” in the late 1910s and 1920s – as you can see, even the Smithsonian down in Washington has one.
You can add to your collection by bidding at our Febuary 15th auction. (IMPORTANT: OUR JAN 25th AUCTION WAS RESCHEDULED TO FEB 15th DUE TO BAD WEATHER.) Take a peek at the gizmo online and in person. And for those collecting or using photo gear, there are 100s of lots available – cameras, lenses, accessories, etc. See the above link for details (free parking, easy access, free admission).
lot 361 at the Jan 25 2026 auction – an old Kodak Magnesium Ribbon holder
Toronto. The idea of flash powder offered a bright light for photography – and facial burns for the unwary. Magnesium Ribbon allowed a controlled amount of “flash powder” to be used giving the bright light while avoiding the accidental burns. Kodak offered their version in a nifty container as shown at left.
Our February 15, 2026 auction (IMPORTANT: OUR JAN 25th AUCTION WAS RESCHEDULED TO FEB 15th DUE TO BAD WEATHER) features a Kodak Magnesium Ribbon Holder as lot 361. Come on down to the Long Branch (southwest Toronto) legion hall and see this and many other lots of historic and usable items.
The details are posted on this web site. They will remain pinned to the front page until the auction is finished.
a Kodak Folder from the first part of the 20th century – lot 336.
Toronto. … as Kenny Rogers once sang. A step up in camera design was the so-called folder popular around 1930-1950. Between uses, the camera could be easily collapsed for the pocket. The focussing bellows collapsed into the camera body along with the lens, viewfinder, and shutter. The base plate closed off the front of the camera to seal it from dust and dirt. Struts closed the camera and a ‘hidden’ button opened it.
My dad bought such a camera – a Kodak Junior six-20 – around the time I was born. It was better than a box camera as the focus, aperture, and shutter could all be adjusted as necessary. Dad’s camera, carefully returned to its box and placed in a drawer of the dining room buffet, remains in like-new condition today.
While it looked much like the six-16 shown here (lot 336), it used the smaller size roll film and prints were usually enlarged a bit whereas the 616 roll film could be developed and contact printed to view or use on postcards.
The lot number refers to a lot in our first 2026 event, the February 15, 2026 auction (IMPORTANT: OUR AUCTION WAS RESCHEDULED TO FEB 15th DUE TO BAD WEATHER). Come out and join in the fun. You may even bid on something to add to your collection or your user gear!
Note: The post title is from Kenny Rogers’ epic 1978 song about the gambler. This is a song and singer my wife and I enjoyed back in the 1970s/80s.
an old brass triplex lens and shutter – lot 469 in the Jan 25, 2026 PHSC Auction
Toronto. In the 1800s brass was often used to manufacture scientific instruments (like microscopes) as it was easy to machine, stable, and inexpensive.
A natural follow on was early small brass cameras and brass mounts for photographic lenses. More commonly the camera body was made of wood often with a leather bellows for focussing.
In our coming auction, lot 469 shown here is this wonderful old lens and shutter assembly attached to a small wooden lens board. At the lower right of the lens proper is a spring adjustment for changing the shutter speed. This suggests the lens setup was used on a dry plate field camera (perhaps).
Come down to our Feb 15, 2026 auction (IMPORTANT: OUR JAN 25th AUCTION WAS RESCHEDULED TO FEB 15th DUE TO BAD WEATHER) in southwest Toronto and see (and bid) the many lots of photographic collectibles and usables….
discussion of new book on Hannah Maynard this Sunday, Jan 18, 2026.
Toronto. It’s time for our monthly Toronto meeting. While it is usually on the third Wednesday of the month, this time we join PhotoED magazine this Sunday, January 18, 2026 2 – 5 pm at the Arts & Letters club, St George’s Hall, 14 Elm Street, Toronto (downtown near near Yonge and Dundas). Please note the day/date change.
We are joining PhotoED magazine to present Elizabeth Anne Cavaliere. Details are provided here courtesy of PhotoED. Ms Cavaliere will discuss her new book, “Hannah Maynard: Life and Work”.
Ms Maynard of BC and her work were covered in previous Photographic Canadiana articles. This talk is both in person and on our YouTube channel.
Come out to the A&L club to hear the story and meet many old friends. If you are unable to join in person, view the meeting on our YouTube channel courtesy of Celio.
Toronto. We often find old photographs and postcards with old photographs. Here in Toronto we have an enthusiastic group of collectors, some of whom are also PHSC members.
Here is a note (and postcard – what else) on the next show. ” Hello from the TPC. Our 44th Annual Show at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre is just over a month away. We’d be very appreciative of a mention in an upcoming notice to your members. We have enjoyed their participation in prior years. Details are on our website here, and on the show card attached.”
c2000 book on Home Movies
Toronto. In the time before digital and smart phones everywhere, a sub set of amateur photographers took and projected movies. Home movies entertained us after watching the ‘boob tube’ lost interest momentarily.
The late Alan Katttelle from down Massachusetts way, was an enthusiast extraordinaire of movies. Alan wrote a definitive book titled “Home Movies – A History of the American Industry 1897 – 1979“. His 2000 book was reviewed in our issue 26-3 (Nov/Dec 2000) and begins, “Alan Kattelle, co-founder and Past President of the Movie Machine Society, Charter member and Past President of the Photographic Historical Society of New England and a collector of amateur motion picture equipment for 25 years, has produced a much awaited anthology on the topic of “Home Movies”.
“We are already well experienced to Alan’s cumulative knowledge through his frequent writings in photo history journals and his many lectures; now his knowledge has been set permanently to paper.” …
Members read this article in its entirety in the issue 26-3 pdf file on the free members-only DVD/stick. See above and at right (Membership) to join (so easy; so cheap). Address all membership questions to member@phsc.ca.
EVENTS
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Stan White – Poems & Photos
Mise Au Point – sur la photographie Quebecois
