Amalgamated Newsletters 2-3

Posted on March 20, 2021 by Robert

Amalgamated Newsletters 2-3 (cover marked 2-2)

Toronto. A good month so far, although my wife says we usually get snow later in March. Be that as it may, Editor Bob Lansdale has put together the latest amalgamation of newsletters in his supplement – Vol 2-3. All members with an email address on file at the PHSC received this pdf version Friday. It is an amalgamation of selected newsletters from our exchange members who gave their blessing for inclusion in this venture.

The cover quote says, “We hope that the Covid pandemic soon passes away so we can get back to normal with regular meetings and events. In the interim here are additional newsletters to keeping you reading. Please enjoy.

“Ken Metcalf of the Graflex Journal has another interesting issue which should entertain you well.

“Another fine newsletter comes from The Western Canada Photographic Historical Association in British Columbia with some fine reading content.”

I noted last year that these packages were coming for members, ” … we elected to compile other material in pdf files ready to send to members IF they supplied an email address AND had a fast enough internet connection to receive the 2 – 10 mb or so pdf files. …”.

Well, the Volume 2-3 went out, and if you didn’t get it but you do get our newsletters, drop me a note (news@phsc.ca). I will verify you are a 2020/2021 member and send off a copy. If you are a current member and didn’t see a copy, please check your junk folder. This and all other specials will only be sent to paid members. Not one yet? No big deal – pull your plastic and use the PayPal set up at the top right of this web page. Note: We will continue to send our excellent newsletter ‘PHSC News‘ to all who are on our MailChimp list – PHSC member or not.

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the eye of the beholder

Posted on March 19, 2021 by Robert

The Sudbury Photo Crew and Gear in the 1950s

Toronto.  The very first issue of the Graflex Journal for 2021 shows a photograph of the news photographers up in Sudbury back in 1953 when cameras and flash were both big and bulky. One brave soul flaunts his Rollei and air? water? camera.

Newspapers, like all old technology are dying off as they struggle to keep current in this age of information, internet, and miniaturization. The professional photographer too is sadly disappearing with the continuous onslaught of amateurs equipped with the latest gadget and a willingness to post their best work for free on TV, Facebook, Flicker, Instagram, Websites, and friends’ phones, tablets, and computers.

Ken Metcalf, editor of the Graflex Journal, shows this photo of the news photographers of the post war years and their gear. A far cry from today’s tiny but powerful smartphones which shoot colour stills and videos ready to go world wide in seconds with the flick of a finger.

A thanks to large scale camera collector and one time PHSC member, Davis Strong, (and Ken Metcalf) for this remarkable ad on page 10 of the  2021-01 Graflex Journal.

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Wow! That’s BIG

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Robert

a massive 21,000 pixel per side square montage of 5,000 posted images

Toronto. A massive JPEG called ‘The First 5000 Days‘  was recently auctioned at Christie’s. The image was a collage of the daily posts made by the artist ‘Beeple‘ since the year 2007.

The collage sold for $69 Million US. What makes it truly unusual is that it was minted in February this year as an NFT or Non-Fungible Token. If you have never heard of NFTs, you are showing your age. These very risky items are online only. Read the above link for details.

A tip of the hat to my ever curious friend, George Dunbar, who shares these strange finds that he comes across while diligently researching photographic history.

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the third wave

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Robert

waiting for the third wave

Toronto. Shades of Alvin Toffler! Medical folk around the world are predicting a third wave of COVID-19 in spite of the vaccines.  The virus now has many variants that are more contagious and deadly. The debate seems to be whether the lesser efficacy vaccines will kick in for enough people before the variants take hold.

Toffler was a writer and futurist who wrote a trilogy on the impact of information technology. The Third Wave was the second title in the trilogy. What could be more appropriate for the book and virus than a photo of waves, waiting for the third wave?

The photo is free and courtesy of Good Free Photos via All Free Download.

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where the heck is my video camera?

Posted on March 16, 2021 by Robert

DP Review of GO 2 Video Camera

Toronto. Well, miniaturization and convenience finally merged to make a tiny clip on camera that takes videos anywhere – check out the video here on DPReview! The Insta360 GO 2 camera is a marvel letting you be totally creative for hours. Jeremy Gray posted this striking review on March 9th, 2021.

Read Jeremy’s review to see the camera’s sensor size, frame rate, lens focal length, accessories, battery duration, etc. A remarkable achievement allowing truly innovative videos to be recorded by all. It makes the 8mm and Super 8 and even 16mm movie cameras of last century the museum pieces they are.

Again,  I thank my friend and fellow PHSC member, George Dunbar, for his enthusiastic sharing of this review. George writes, “Some masterful advertising here…….for a mini, video camera. The video commercials themselves are worth watching.”.

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priceless memories

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Robert

memories that transcend time

Toronto. If you (god forbid) are ever in a fire or other disaster that destroys your home, what would you save? Jewellery? Clothes? Possessions? Family photos?

An article on BBC News by Celia Hatton called ‘The memory hunters‘ relates what is truly priceless and what can be replaced in time. It is satisfying to see the role  photography plays in such catastrophic events. Photographs give priceless memories of family members from years past. They may be of little value to strangers but are irreplaceable to family.

Read this article and learn what can be considered priceless. Photography – what would we do with out it? Family photos grow in value over time as people ‘shed their mortal coils’ and become our ancestors. Examples of rare old processes are coveted by collectors but the content truly enhances family members who appreciate seeing how ancestors or even themselves looked in days long gone.

Thanks to friend and PHSC member, Russ Forfar, for finding this BBC article and generously sharing it with us.

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capturing the essence …

Posted on March 14, 2021 by Robert

Typical Lansdale portrait, courtesy of the U of T Archives

Toronto. What is the difference between a good photographer and a great one? In my opinion it is the ability to take a person’s portrait and capture the essence of the person.

Bob Lansdale is one such photographer. Much of his work resides in the University of Toronto Archives and has been posted on line by that august institution. Our society [PHSC]  reaps the benefits as Bob enthusiastically embraces photographic history and any and all Canadian effort in that industry.

Bob has been our principal editor of Photographic Canadiana for over half of its life as well as the unofficial photographer of the society and a source of many of its outstanding ideas. His tenacious approach to problems is simply unequalled. The society would be much less without his informal pushes over the years. Bob’s network of journal contributors and advisors spans the world.

An exceptional photographer; an exceptional man. This post also owes much to another fine photographer, friend, and PHSC member, George Dunbar, who has suggested to me so many great ideas about our favourite art – photography.

George writes to Bob in part, “I was browsing and enjoying some images in your U. of T. archive………some wonderful photography there! Do you remember this one [see above] from 50 years ago?”

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PHSC News for March 2021 (Vol 20-09)

Posted on March 13, 2021 by Robert

FLIR Scout TK digital camera

Toronto. At right top of page 1 in this issue is the FLIR Scout TK camera – digital technology with a twist! This tiny digital device records the thermal image of the viewed scene!

As the third month of 2021 gets underway, the anticipation of COVID-19 vaccines raises hopes in spite of the COVID-19 variations surfacing world-wide. Vaccines and close adherence to common sense guidelines brings a bit of sunshine  that all COVID related restrictions will end soon so we can get on with life.

Meantime, our editor extraordinaire, Sonja Pushchak, and her team have composed this latest issue of PHSC News (20-09). As shown on page one, we are celebrating the Irish with our St Patrick’s Day parade back in 2019. Take a few moments and read all the articles in our latest newsletter and ease your personal cares!

On page 1, the article ‘The Green Guy‘ speaks to St Patrick and our parade plus a Reuters link. Next is, “A Wet-Plate Clamp Made by A Savage“, in this case, made by Adam Savage in his metal and woodworking shop down in sunny California. On page 3, the column PHOTO BOOK 101, has an essay titled, “The Fifties: Forgotten But Not Gone“; while page 4 explains Why Canada ‘Connaught’ Make its Own Vaccines in the column called, “THE TORONTO FILE” – a sad tale of how our government of the day helped others (internationals) succeed.

Page 5 discusses how John Malkovich Got Tired of Being John Malkovich in the “SAY CHEESE” column (I did a similar post a few days ago with far less information). David does his tongue-in-cheek Equipment Review, on the current photo developer situation in his “The Disturbingly Dark Tale of the Dektol Developer“ review. 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 – Dr Ron Goodin’s movie on the Great Bear Rain Forest out in BC. Places are going very fast for this presentation – lends credence to continuing ZOOM events post COVID! On page 9, Ivy & Izzy say it’s ‘Time to Talk in Generalities‘ this time about reoccurring things – shades of that Groundhog Day movie.

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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a little thanks

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Robert

A little thanks from Rita at PhotoED

Toronto. … goes a long way. March 8th was International Woman’s Day. PHSC celebrated on the day via Instagram. Our fav magazine editor, Rita Godlevskis of PhotoEd, celebrated IWD with this message celebrating all the women who have helped her magazine in various photographic roles.

Very thoughtful and well done Rita!

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where the girls are

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Robert

the girls do their bit in WW2 with a ‘bang’

Toronto. I was just a tiny child when WW2 crashed on the scene. With so many men in the war, girls got the chance to do what was once a man’s job at home and there was no looking back regardless of the fact that the girls were pushed aside when the men returned home from war.

One of my wife’s aunts met her future husband when they both worked in a factory here to aid the war.

When I first started working, jobs were divided into male and female with the lower pay very obvious. The logic of the day was that women soon retired from the workforcce to marry and raise children.

But by two decades later, women were encouraged to seek promotion; jobs were no longer male or female; efforts were made to equalize payment for work not for gender. It was and is a continuing battle as the ‘glass ceiling’ still seems to exist but at an ever higher level in the more progressive companies.

My thanks to my friend George Dunbar who spotted this interesting photograph and chose to share it. The photograph appeared in Canada’s History magazine in an article written by Governor-General’s History Award winner Governor General's History Awards Winner Charlotte Gray— and posted back on October 10, 2018.

Note: My post title is from the song of the same name as sung by Josh Turner.

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