Brandon Leung – Ryerson Thesis Winner for 2020

Posted on April 26, 2021 by Robert

by Jim Wong-Chu courtesy of UBC Rare Books Library and B J Leung

Toronto. I was pleased to hear from our 2nd Vice-president, Ashley Cook at the AGM this month. Ashley co-ordinates the review and selection of the Ryerson Thesis winner each year. In spite of the radical changes in society invoked by COVID-19 rules, she was happy to announce the 2020 winner.

Ashley proudly announced. “The 2020 F+PPCM Thesis Prize winner is Brandon James Leung for his thesis: ‘Chinatown Forever Changing’: Jim Wong-Chu’s Pender East.’

The image at top left is called, ‘Jim Wong-Chu, [Chinese boy holding an umbrella], gelatin silver print, after 1970. University of British Columbia Library, rare Books and Special Collections, image courtesy of Brandon James Leung.’

The précis of the thesis from Ryerson’s School of Image Arts reads, “This thesis explores the historical context of late Asian Canadian artist and activist Jim Wong- Chu’s photographic and poetic album Pender East, which is held in the Jim Wong-Chu fonds, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC). I discuss the album in the context of Asian Canadian Cultural Activism of the 1970s, the same time period when the photographs within the album were taken, applying the movement’s relationship to community, history and cultural representation to my analysis. Viewing the photographs and poems through this lens reveals how the album visually represents Chinese Canadian identity through the photographs, poems and its structure. Additionally, as much of this information is not accessible from within the RBSC database, I outline how the relationship between the album and the knowledge surrounding it can be maintained through its catalogue record.”

A summary of the thesis will appear in a future copy of Photographic Canadiana and may be presented by Brandon in person or via ZOOM in a Toronto Monthly meeting at a later date.

Note: A minor amendment was made to the title and reference note of this post on August 4, 2021 following a request from a fellow PHSC member and close friend.

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a pretty little poser

Posted on April 25, 2021 by Robert

Little girl in studio portrait c1850s

Toronto. I bought this daguerreotype of a little girl around 1975 at one of our fairs from Bill Marshall of Deux Montagnes, Quebec. There was only a half case on it so the quarter plate image was priced under $10. For most of the 1800s, media and equipment were so slow that stands had to be used to brace subjects for the long exposures needed (up to a minute or more depending on the studio lighting  and apparatus). This little girl held a chair back and leaned on a metal stand (at one time you could see the upside down T shape with the short bar on the floor below the pantaloons).

On July 2, 1976 I cleaned the image using  the Missouri Historical Society formula of thiourea, phosphoric acid, and distilled water, plus a dash of wetting agent. The plate was dried off by dipping it in pure alcohol (Alcool from Quebec) and air dried. You could then see details like the varnish cracks on the chair, and the stand below her body. 46+ years later, the stains have returned and blocked the details once again.

In the larger image shown here, you can see that the hand and dress at the chair back are sharp while the head, body, and dress a bit further away are slightly blurred, perhaps by tiny movement. One book I have suggests the plain brass frame and metal binding (not cardboard) indicates a later daguerreotype, hence my c1850s estimate.

As you can see, the child is well fed, clean and dressed up in her Sunday best to have her ‘likeness’ taken for eternity. Less fortunate folk could not afford the clothes or studio photographs, especially of children. The very wealthy could engage an artist to paint a portrait.

 

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The Amalgamated Photo History Newsletters Vol 2-4 (April 2021)

Posted on April 24, 2021 by Robert

Amalgamated Newsletters
Vol 2-4, April 2021

Toronto. The Australian Back Focus issue plus some old articles are reproduced here in our special members-only supplement, this time its the June 2020 issue of Back Focus. As a member of the PHSC, you received this supplement Friday, the 23rd of April.

Vol 2-4 was sent out last Friday afternoon to all current members with an email address. If you did NOT get a copy, please email me at info@phsc.ca and I will send you a copy after verification of your membership. Not YET a member? well, for heaven’s sake! Grab your plastic and register via PayPal on the upper right of this page! And you can donate to the society the same way via PayPal, or go to our Canada Helps entry on the link below the PAY NOW button.

The preamble states, “Welcome to our Easter readings of the Amalgamated Newsletter to offset the effects of Covid.

“Ron Reynolds, President and of many hats for The Australian Photographic Collectors’ Society of Australia, contributes our one main article on the testing of lenses. It is a difficult topic that requires expertise to explain properly.

“George Dunbar of the Photographic Historical Society of Canada offers some of his finds in surfing the internet.

“Permissions granted: Back Focus – The Australian Photographic Collectors’ Society of Australia–Ron Reynolds; Photographic Historical Society of Canada–George Dunbar.”

Ron’s article is very detailed and of considerable interest. I did a similar test of various cameras and lenses in the late 1960s for members of the Bell Canada Camera Club in Montreal. Ron offers a  far more detailed and precise analysis  than my rather simple test results using a similar resolution test chart about a half century ago. George Dunbar submitted the May, 1941 Electronics magazine article. “Facsimile Speeds Air Reconnaissance” and the analysis article, “After the Shot Is Fired” from the March, 1931 issue of Science & Industry magazine.

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Charlie Geschke dead at 81

Posted on April 23, 2021 by Robert

Adobe’s co-founder Charles Geschke, courtesy of Rappler.com

Toronto. You may wonder who the heck this guy was and why his passing merits attention on a photographic history website. Almost everyone above ground and many underground have used his products over the years.

Monday, April 19, 2021, I was watching CP24 on our Sony TV when a brief post caught my eye. It said the Adobe co-founder and co-person behind PDF, Charles Geschke had died at 81 years of age.

We at the PHSC use many older Adobe products like Photoshop, and the ubiquitous PDF (Portable Documentation Format) to post our journals and newsletters. As savvy folk know, PDF keeps the fonts and image positions exactly like they were created in a page layout program.

I personally used many Adobe products (Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator, GoLive, Dreamweaver, InDesign, Lightroom, etc.) on both Windows and Apple platforms until Adobe moved to their current business plan making them uneconomical for non professionals to use. Before then, I was so impressed with Adobe that I bought Pamela Pfiffner’s 2002 book ‘Inside thePublishing Revolution‘.

Photographers and web browsing folk everywhere need shed a tear on the passing of this great and remarkable man.

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up, up, and away

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Robert

Intrepid in flight – courtesy NASA

Toronto. Bet you thought your telephoto lens takes a really long shot! I have an old 20 inch Bausch and Lomb lens that mounts on a Leica mirror box. But, NASA has everyone beat by miles. Their tiny Intrepid drone took off f rom MARS Monday (19th of April if you are counting)  and took this video.

Well done little camera – and a tip of the hat from every savvy photographer and videographer!

Note: The title of this post is a 1967 song written by Jimmy Webb, sung here by the 5th Dimension (very low resolution video).

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Aldo Egidio Lista 1930-2021

Posted on April 21, 2021 by Robert

Aldo Lista, 1930-2021

Toronto. Our president and my good friend, Lewko (Clint) Hryhorijiw, called me yesterday (the 20th) to say Aldo had died on April 15th.  Clint worked at one time years ago for Aldo at the New Paramount studio as a wedding photographer.

Clint knew Aldo and his family as well as their home by Lake Ontario. The full obituary (thanks Clint) was in a recent issue of the Toronto Star and can now be read here on the Legacy web site.

After Aldo retired, his son took over operation of the studios. We are sorry to see this bit of history fade away.

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angel of the morning

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Robert

Angel photo taken by Robert with his SX-70

Toronto. In 1972, Dr Edwin Land electrified the photographic community when he announced his new SLR camera, the SX-70. This incredible camera had all the bells and whistles of contemporary cameras plus creating colour prints, with no waste, in just a few minutes. More, it collapesed flat and would slip into a coat side pocket.

The October 27, 1972 issue of Life magazine announced the SX-70 and its technological marvels in an article beginning on page 42 titled ‘Dr. Land’s latest bit of magic’.

I bought my SX-70 over two decades ago from the late Bill Belier and still have it around. Polaroid is long gone but you can still get film packs that fit the SX-70 and similar-sized Polaroid cameras made much later on.

The article in Life was discovered by my good friend George Dunbar in his pursuit of photographic history through advertisements and magazine articles. George generously passed the link along so all visitors to this site could share this bit of history from nearly half a century ago.

Note. The post title is the song of the same name written in 1967 by Chip Taylor. The version here was sung back in 1981 by Juice Newton on her album of the same name.

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Oh Lordy, Lordy!

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Robert

LORD IIa camera c1954 courtesy of David Broglin

Toronto. After World War Two (WW2), Japan worked hard to restore its industries. One such company was called Okaya Kogaku Kikai K.K. This optical house sold cameras to North America. To be accepted, the company had to rename their camera line in ways that made sense to English speaking folk and conveyed to them a perception of quality.

The name LORD was chosen (an equivalent name was used in Japan written in that language) and a series of 35mm cameras were marketed to an American distributor and on to North American retailers. Lord was one of a long line of Japanese optical products sold to American distributors in the push to shove aside the then powerful German industry which like them was based in a country defeated in WW2 by the overwhelming power of the Americans collaborating with Britain and the Commonwealth.

Many of these inexpensive cameras were sold at our fairs and meetings, especially in the last century.

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PHSC April 21 2021 meeting via ZOOM by Lorne Shields

Posted on April 18, 2021 by Robert

Toronto.  VISUALLY COMPELLING HISTORIC CYCLING PHOTOGRAPHICA – A Talk by Lorne Shields, Canadian Collector and Historical Cycling Authority.

An online Zoom presentation followed by a Q&A session with Lorne Shields
April 21, 2021 – 7:30 EDT

In a search spanning 50 years, Lorne Shields has built one of the most significant collections of cycling photographs anywhere in the world. Join us as he reveals more of the remarkable personal conveyances hidden in the history of transportation.

Register on Eventbrite for FREE tickets (link below poster jpg)

Our April 2021 program – click links below

To Register for this FREE program,  visit this page on Eventbrite. Questions? Just email our meeting ZOOM coordinator at program@phsc.ca

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PHSC News for April 2021 (Vol 20-10)

Posted on April 17, 2021 by Robert

Fake Security Camera

Toronto. At right top of page 1 in this issue is the  AlfaView Solar-Powered Bullet Dummy Fake Surveillance Camera. Saves cost. A few decades ago when we had a store front in the Kingsway, I used a real camera bought used at one of our fairs. I left it unpowered and unplugged – until a customer pointed out to me that no cables mean a fake…

As the fourth month of 2021 gets underway, our editor produced a nifty April Fool’s edition (some articles are fake news, some are real). COVID-19 vaccinations are well underway in spite of the COVID-19 variations surfacing world-wide. Vaccines and close adherence to common sense guidelines brings a bit of sunshine in spite of the sharp peak in cases.

Our editor extraordinaire, Sonja Pushchak, and her team have composed this latest issue of PHSC News (20-10). Take a few moments and read all the articles in our latest newsletter and ease your personal cares!

On page 1, the article ‘Important Announcement‘ speaks to the current dichotomy between COVID guidelines and their understanding – meet Minister Katt… Next, under PHSC Presents is, “Practical LED Lighting for Filming a Hit Sci-fi Series“, complete with a link to an interesting video on YouTube. On page 3, the column STREAMables, continues the page 2 story with an essay titled, “Two Hundred Years from Now in The Expanse“; while page 4 features a cheeky look at the Royals in the article, “A Closing Comment on a Clutch of Calamitous Claims“ in the column called MEDIA-rology.

Page 5 discusses “A Contradictory Manifesto: The Paradox of the Futurists”  in the “ANTI-photography” column back when Italy was flooded with Futurists. David does his usual tongue-in-cheek Equipment Review, on an accessory to concentrate a consumer grade flash in his “To Flash Beamer or Not to Flash Beamer? Beam Me Up!“ article while page 7 has a trio of WEB LINKS of interest to us all.

Not to be overlooked, Page 8 features a poster on our forth-coming ZOOM event – Lorne Shields on “VISUALLY COMPELLING HISTORIC CYCLING PHOTOGRAPHICA”. Lorne is popular and his talks well illustrated and always fascinating – don’t miss out on this one! On page 9, Ivy & Izzy discuss that old chestnut about spaghetti in ‘Just What is it That Makes Yesterday’s Pasta So Different, So Appealing?‘

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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