a name that pre-dates photography

Posted on February 24, 2022 by Robert

1933 ad for the Voigtlander Prominent camera

Toronto. Voigtlander was an optical house in Vienna before the invention of any photographic process. While in Vienna, the Voigtlander firm manufactured the famous Petzval portrait lens designed c1840.

Nearly a century later, this June, 1933 advertisement appeared in the American Cinematographer for an equally famous Voigtlander  trade mark – the Prominent 120 roll film camera.

Once again this historical ad was discovered by my good friend, George Dunbar, in his diligent pursuit of photographic history as recorded in the advertisements and articles of the past century.

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a winter photo fair

Posted on February 23, 2022 by Robert

Arthur Rockery snaps one of the ‘Clinton 12’ and her “brave” companions at the Clinton TN Civil Rights protest c1956

Toronto. The Daguerreian Society is hosting a winter photo fair online this February 26 and 27 – free to all (members can get in a day earlier on the 25th).

Here is a great way to augment your collection  – historic or semi modern. Drop in and check it out. Who knows, you may just find a print you must have!

While I have chosen a relatively modern print here, much older dagerreotypes, cabinet cards, etc will also be offered.

The society mailing list says in part, “The Daguerreian Society’s Winter Photography Fair will open its virtual doors to the public starting next Saturday, February 26th at noon ET. Admission will be free!

“This online-only event will include a wide range of 19th- and 20th-century photography and phot0graphy-related items from dozens of top galleries and private dealers. See below for a sneak peak at more of the items that will be for sale.”

 

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dance with me, Henry

Posted on February 22, 2022 by Robert

run, run, run – caught by electronic flash over 80 years ago

Toronto. By 1940, newspapers and newshounds alike were busy trying to find new cheery ideas as WW2 rumbled on with its sorrowful gloom and destruction.

Electronic flash suggested not only enough light for the slow film media of the day, but a way to have “shutter” speeds far faster than the physical shutter could possibly do. A new way to show how bright things were in spite of the war.

An example is this clever electronic flash news photo from the May 1940 issue of Popular Mechanics. The trio of track runners are frozen in time with every grimace and step captured forever! This amazing shot was taken at 30x the physical speed of the shutter – (even faster than that if it was a focal plane shutter)!

A big nod to good friend and fellow PHSC member, George Dunbar, for sending me this historic article in Popular Mechanics – ‘permanently’ captured via digital technology of today.

Note: this post name was inspired by the old Georgia Gibbs song of the same name from back when I was a teen-ager.

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eye of the beholder

Posted on February 21, 2022 by Robert

Ad for the 1936 model Foth Flex

Toronto. In the May, 1936 issue of American Cinematographer, the Home Camera Co. in NYC advertised the Foth Flex TLR camera. To the innocent eye, the camera seems to be made by the “Home Camera Co.” Since you could buy it from your dealer or Home Camera.

In fact, Home Camera Co. was an importer and distributor of the Foth Flex. The camera was manufactured by C. F. Foth and Co., Berlin, Germany.  Kind of a bad choice in 1936 since Foth also sold to Japan and both Japan and Germany were at war with most of Europe and the British Commonwealth in late 1939 and with America about two years later.

My thanks to good friend and retired photographer, George Dunbar, for sharing this advertisement with us.

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fade to black

Posted on February 20, 2022 by Robert

1940 article on a Polaroid fader for 8/16mm movie cameras

Toronto. Professional movies shot on 35mm film or larger used a variety of techniques to switch the film – and audience – from one scene to the next. In one method, the scene ending was slowly faded out while the scene beginning was slowly faded fully open.

A May 1940 filler article  in Popular Mechanics announced a Polaroid accessory for any amateur  8/16mm movie lens to create fades. As many people know, placing two Polaroid filters together and rotating one will vary light throughput from zero (dark) to maximum brightness (light). A clever fader design that works for both B&W film and colour film.

My thanks to a good friend and fellow photographic historian, George Dunbar, for sharing this tasty little article with us. I have a number of Polaroid filters to dampen reflections but no dual filter faders.

The title of this post is a popular song title. I chose Mark Knopfler and the Dire Straits rendition of, “Fade to Black” since I like them and have this CD. Even if you don’t especially care for the band, the black and white images and the use of the fade are worth watching!

 

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and you thought your camera was big!

Posted on February 19, 2022 by Robert

Article in American Cinematographer (Mar 1935) showing latest colour technology

Toronto. We often seem to be fond of making comparisons. In 1935, Technicolor offered a way to make colour films in Hollywood. The process was downright expensive so only some films – scenes – were in ‘full colour’.   This shows a scene in the movie “Becky Sharp” being shot in Technicolor. The Technicolor Corporation tried  many different techniques to simplify colour and make it more natural.

Surprisingly, they began back in the days of silent movies! The image at left is from the March, 1935 issue of American Cinematographer. Not only were the colour cameras huge, unwieldy machines, but a small army of Technicolor folks were involved in the taking, lighting, and processing of the colour movie.

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a penny for your thoughts …

Posted on February 18, 2022 by Robert

another use for 3D

Toronto. We have all tossed a quarter into those  clever ‘slot’ machines in arcades or other amusement areas to see a series of stills. In this article from the April 1941 issue of Popular Mechanics is a suggestion to use  3D stills and offer the viewer an experience a bit different from the usual.

As a kid a few years later than 1941, I was taken to visit relatives. In the living room was a basket of old stereo views and a Holmes viewer. The scenes, all in 3D, kept me busy as my elders enjoyed their visit. I never did find any coin machines that offered stereo stills while I was still young enough to find them worth a coin or two.

A thank you goes to that erstwhile seeker of photographic history, my good friend George Dunbar for sharing his find with us.  

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carousel anyone?

Posted on February 17, 2022 by Robert

Article about an early round tray window projection device

Toronto. For many years the Kodak Carousel series of slide projectors with round horizontal trays were the top of the line in North America. One series was sold for home use and a second series as industrial machines. This short article describes what could well be the ancestor if not the inspiration for Carousel projectors!

The article from the May 1940 issue of Popular Mechanics shows a “16 glass slide apparatus” intended for retail store window displays. I notice that some slides appear to be Kodachrome 35mm transparencies by the frames used.

The slides are positioned 90 degrees from those in traditional Carousel trays. Since Kodachrome was very new in 1940, an author might think of the much older glass slides for this store front automated marketing gadget.

Once again a big thanks to good friend and PHSC member, George Dunbar, for sharing this article with us.

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no tanks

Posted on February 16, 2022 by Robert

tray development under a safe light.

Toronto. Popular Mechanics often ran short ‘filler’ articles which were interesting and seemed to be practical to the frugal but of  little value. Typical is this darkroom article from the April, 1941 issue on a way to increase productivity when tray developing B&W negatives (it would help if all films were the same speed, type, and exposure).

This approach may have worked to develop orthochromatic film, but panchromatic and colour films demanded total darkness during development. Tanks accommodated the total darkness need while allowing the darkroom enthusiast to follow his/her time and temperature guidelines in full light.

Thanks to good friend and historian, George Dunbar for offering this ad and giving me the idea for this post!

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about that land in Florida

Posted on February 15, 2022 by Robert

demonstrating lens coating in America just months before they entered WW2

Toronto. An article in the May 1940 issue of Popular Mechanics suggests a coating can double the lens speed (if only this were so …). We used to suggest to gullible people that if they believed something improbable, we have some (swamp) land in Florida they might like.

In reality, coating lens elements does increase the light transmission through a lens and may mean a smaller aperture can give the same amount of light to the sensitive media, but most obvious to a photographer is the increase in contrast and the saturation of colours (plus the capability to increase the number of lens elements without rapidly increasing internal reflections [zoom lenses anyone?]). Wikipedia gives a more technical explanation of lens coatings as anti-reflective coatings.

The lens ‘speed’ or aperture is a basic mathematical function:  focal length divided by the effective lens diameter or simply the f/stop. Compare, for example the coated post war and uncoated pre war Elmar 90mm lenses. Both are f/4 aperture but the coated lens gives far better contrast and colour saturation than its older sibling.

And another ‘tip of the hat’ goes to my good friend, George Dunbar for sharing this article with us.

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