PHSC News newsletter for December 2021

Posted on December 11, 2021 by Robert

over 250,000 made and sold

Toronto. Recognize the Leica M3 at the right top of page 1 in this month’s PHSC News newsletter? The most famous of all Leicas, design was done before and during WW2. You can see the prototype Leica IV in the Leica museum in Solms, Germany.

December is nearing the mid point. People in the know are ruminating on a fifth wave of COVID. Yet   our editor, Sonja, and her team found the time to  produce this issue for you. World-wide, the Omicron variant threatens to be even more transmissible than the Delta. Here in Canada, changes have been somewhat eased by our vaccination levels (the third – a booster shot – gets underway this month) and a close adherence to common sense guidelines. Children under 12, and of school age, are being   vaccinated now.

PHSC News (21-06) has many thought provoking articles as usual – all short, crisp, and provocative. Why not take a few moments and read them, easing your  symptoms of virus lethargy.

Page 1 under “Comfort & Joy” discusses a photograph by 1950s and 60s society photographer Slim Aarons and the misidentification of its model in social media. Page 2 in “PHSC PRESENTS (virtually)” speaks of Queen Victoria’s massive 1894 Christmas Feast. This time page 3, under PHOTO BOOK 101 has the topic, “The Book for a Garage Mechanic Who has Everything”. Under Streamables on page 4, is an article on, “The Man Who Invented Christmas” or “You May Not Want to Have a Dickens of a Christmas“; while page 5 looks at how the British are coping with the supply chain mess in the food area in, “The OVERSEAS File“.

Page 6 covers, “Open Me First and Get Ready to Feel Inadequate“, or Christmas ads c1950s,  in David’s EQUIPMENT REVIEW.  David is followed  on page 7 by John Morden’s  thoughtful selection of WEB LINKS.

Page 8 features the poster for our popular annual (now ZOOM ) event  “A Show and Tell”.  We see those friends Ivy & Izzy, on page 9, trading quips on the topic  “Checking out Darwin’s Head“. As a wrapper, page 10 has John’s compilation of shows, events, and exhibitions of interest to collectors/photographers everywhere – take a look.

P.S. As usual, every link shown in the newsletter is a hot link just waiting for your click!

P.P.S. You can visit this issue by clicking here, or by g0ing to the menu item NEWSLETTER at the top of the page. There is a drop down menu that takes you to older issues dating back a couple of decades to the very beginning.

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1940’s creme de la creme

Posted on December 10, 2021 by Robert

Eastman film used for 1941’s ten best movies …

Toronto. 1940. America was a year away from being pushed into WW2 by the attack on Pearl Harbor. Color movies were very possible but very costly. That year, critic’s poll happened to choose black and white titles for the ‘top ten’ – all shot on Eastman negative film.

Kodak posted this ad in the February, 1941 issue of International Photographer. Big Yellow Father touted three of its B&W films, two of which were familiar to 35mm camera aficionados:  Plus-X, and Super-XX (the third film was  Background-X).

A special thanks to my good friend, George Dunbar, for sharing this wonderful ad with us. While not all of us are well known industrial cinematographers like George, most of us did use Kodak negative films at one time or another until the digital wave embraced us – except for that tiny niche group who rely on film (and our fairs and shows for gear and inspiration).

 

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flash dance

Posted on December 9, 2021 by Robert

Ad for the motion stopping Kodatron electronic flash system.

Toronto. In this 1949 ad from the April issue of International Photographer shows what can be done with the amazing Kodatron Speed Lamp by Kodak. Edgerton had demonstrated the use of the technology for photography a few years earlier at M.I.T.

In this ad, Kodak was addressing Hollywood and the movie crowd. The electronic flash was for professional studio illumination at the time. A heavy portable flash was available for professionals too, Amateur snappers and many professionals on the move resorted to the much cheaper one-use flash bulbs. It was after WW2 that electronic flash was finally cheap enough and portable enough to be widely used outside the studio environment.

A big thanks once again to my good friend and retired cinematographer, George Dunbar. George came across this ad while researching photographic history as denoted in both poplar and photographic magazines of last century.

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the way we were

Posted on December 8, 2021 by Robert

Slow Photography by Dennis Minty

Toronto. In the days of film, shots cost money so the prudent photographer was careful to crop, frame, and expose at just what Cartier- Bresson called, “the decisive moment”.  In this book, “Slow Photography –  Images with Intent” Dennis Minty of Newfoundland and Labrador takes us back to that time in Photography eschewing the “10 is good so 100 must be better” mindset of the average digital snap shooter and smart phone user.

Dennis Minty, out on the Rock, writes of his ebook, “Slow Photography, Images with Intent represents Dennis Minty’s thoughts after more than fifty years experience as a photographer, with twenty-five as a professional.

“Slow photography is an attitude, an approach, a philosophy and a methodology. It’s about slowing down, being thoughtful and reflective, considerate and intentional. It strives towards authenticity and connection and transforms photography from reflex to ritual.

“‘With slow photography, we hone our compositions and try to make our images personal, more a reflection of who we are and what we care about…Slow photography goes beyond the impulse to record, to the need to feel more deeply.’

“Minty describes and illustrates why slow photography is important both to the images we create and to our personal contentment. He explains how to go about it so that any shooting experience brings long-lasting fulfilment, and he provides simple exercises that reinforce the ideas behind slow photography. Almost ever one of the 240 pages holds one or more photos carefully chosen both for visual impact and for their utility at illustrating the ideas behind slow photography. This book is for anyone who enjoys photography either as a viewer or as a practitioner.”

While Dennis asks for a modest fee for the pdf file, he offers a preview for those of us who like to ‘kick the tires’. Here’s the link to see a preview: https://payhip.com/b/4zOx5

 

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for the ditherers of last century

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Robert

An Alpa Reflex II 35mm camera

Toronto.  Back on May 10, 2019 before we were engulfed in COVID, I did a different post on the Alpa line of cameras.

Those 35mm photographers who couldn’t decide whether the rangefinder or SLR style was best, could always have both by choosing an Alpa camera with both means of focus. This unusual design came with what were considered excellent lenses.

At one time I was offered an Alpa in exchange for my Rittrick IIa but for some quirky reason, I declined the swap. While the Alpa camera line was only around a few decades, the elaborate hand-assembled technique and Swiss precision made it a formidable line of 35mm cameras.

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a pro’s pro line

Posted on December 6, 2021 by Robert

March 1941 ad for the famous Graflex line

Toronto. In North America, most newshounds or wanna be’s used one brand of camera and accessories: Graflex. In the International Photographer for March 1941 on page 17, Folmer Graflex touted its line of cameras and accessories as ‘prize winning’ and ‘American Made’, statements most photographers of the day considered truthful.

We can all remember the trusty Speed Graphic or Graflex with its iconic flash gun in the hands of a photographer at every news worthy event. Ken Metcalf down in North Carolina publishes a Journal (Graflex Journal) devoted to this remarkable line,

A big thanks goes out to PHSC member, good friend, and photographic historian, George Dunbar, for sharing this advertisement from some 80 years ago!

 

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we owe a lot to the movies

Posted on December 5, 2021 by Robert

Jeanette MacDonald by Technicolor in the 1938 Sweethearts movie

Toronto. In 1932, Hollywood released the first movie shot in Technicolor’s three strip process. The shot here is via TCM and Sony TV and shows Jeanette MacDonald in a scene from the movie “Sweethearts”.  This was the first color film for both her and Nelson Eddy.

While consistent color balance was still challenging, the three strip process resulted in brilliant, long lasting colours; all be it very saturated colours with lots of yellows, reds and sparkling blacks and whites.

The process was costly and  clumsy. Each scene was shot on three individual monochrome negative strips through individual filters. A dye transfer process was used to make the distributed positive. A very expensive route to colour that lasted well into the mid last century when single film tri-packs became common (Eastmancolor, Agfacolor, etc.).

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it’s December and Show and Tell time again!

Posted on December 4, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. A Show and Tell featuring photography’s rare, curious and unclassifiable- DECEMBER 15, 2021 – 8:00 EST

Want to talk about your latest, greatest equipment or image score? Bursting to let us know what kind of eccentric esoterica you’ve spend countless hours hunting down? Here’s your chance! Go to program@phsc.ca to reserve your presentation spot today!

Register on Eventbrite for FREE tickets. Please note, this online Zoom event is sponsored by the Photographic Historical Society of Canada.

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our 21st executive meeting via ZOOM

Posted on December 3, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. It’s over two years now and COVID is still dragging on with recent news of the Omicron variant. Collectively, we have pretty well avoided the FOURTH wave effect by distancing, masks, and an excellent response to vaccines (a third shot – booster – is about to begin). Being online has had its own virtue – executive (or presenter, or audience) can be anywhere with no travel issues/costs. Zoom and our very able coordinator keep getting better. Sadly, older computers are not supported by Zoom. A computer connected camera and microphone are essential to see and talk (a telephone connection gives audio capability).

November was a month of few changes. Celio continues to do a super job in the Programs, Instagram, and Zoom departments. Clint continues to show why he is president. And David Bridge and Louise Freyburger have stepped up to the challenge as our joint temporary Photographic Canadiana editors. Of course the other executive members and appointees also show enthusiasm and competence in keeping the society afloat and thriving. On top of this, we welcome Ms Mina Markovic and her photographic and Instagram expertise to the team!

Some executive members meet at our 21st executive meeting via ZOOM

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Sonochrome, oh Sonochrome, where are you?

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Robert

July, 1929 ad for the tinted Kodak Sonochrome in the International Photographer

Toronto. Silent movies used colour tints to evoke moods – indoors, outdoors, creepy, fire, etc. When talkies came along, tints affected the sound recording. A solution by Kodak was their Sonochrome black and white film with a tinted base that carefully avoided the sound strip. Negatives copied to this film to create positives for projection were said to be free of any impact on sound.

The website filmcolors.org says, “Kodak Sonochrome was a specially prepared tinted film for sound film that did not interfere with the spectral sensitivity of the photo-electric cell for the reading of the optical sound track.

“The 17 Sonochrome tints were dyed in mainly light hues for maximum light transmission, with the exception of purple, blue and green that had transmissions below 40%. The hues were given poetic names to express color-mood associations.

“Eastman Kodak, Agfa, Pathé and others produced pre-tinted film base before the advent of sound. Pre-tinted stock can be identified by scratching the emulsion off in a small area outside the frame revealing the colored film base.”

A big thanks is due to my good friend and retired cinematographer, George Dunbar for sharing this bit of photographic history with us, Note that the ad can be found in the July, 1929 issue of the International Photographer.

 

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