a plethora of polaroids

Posted on March 7, 2020 by Robert

Polaroids at our March 15th Auction

Toronto. Every collection needs at least one Polaroid camera – I have two personally. And thanks to innovators in Europe and Japan, Polaroid colour packs can still be found. If your collection  suffers the  lack of a Polaroid camera – or not – come on down to the legion hall in Long Branch on March 15 and join the folks at our auction.

Spend the day with good food and like minded folk bidding on photographica like the Polaroids to augment your collection or working gear – film or digital. Parking and admission are free! Never been there, or just need a reminder? Check here or on our menu above under the AUCTION heading.

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leaping on the home movie bandwagon

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Robert

Mansfield 8mm movie outfit ad in time for Christmas 1961

Toronto. Mansfield Industries made special outfits of 8mm cameras and projectors ready for Christmas. Originally based in Ann Arbor, MI, the headquarters moved to Chicago. This page 88 ad in the November 24, 1961 issue of LIFE  magazine suggests that with this outfit anyone can make “professional” home movies… Sure.

Like so many photographic companies, Mansfield worked hard to earn a segment of the rapidly expanding amateur market. The outfit promoted in this ad addresses the 8mm movie market. Like others, their camera had a three lens turret, and a built-in “electric-eye” mechanism. And the projector was equipped with a 500w lamp. easy threading and a simple preview screen.

Both camera and projector tried to solve the most glaring amateur errors. Sadly only a professional cinematographer could determine the correct light balance, framing, editing, etc. to make such a “home movie”. And a professional would demand far better equipment than Mansfield could offer.

My thanks to George Dunbar for suggesting this romp through the past when many people tried to capture part of the home movie business. We look back today with whimsey. Every smart phone can make videos miles ahead of any home movie of the 1960s – without delays or even lighting issues.

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cameras and cycles at our March 2020 meeting IS DEFERRED!

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Robert

Lorne Shields by Bob Lansdale

Toronto. Meeting, Wed, March 18 2020 at 7:00 pm
BURGUNDY ROOM, Memorial Hall.

** IMPORTANT: THIS MEETING IS CANCELLED **

HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT AND VISUALLY COMPELLING IMAGES PORTRAYING BICYCLE’S HISTORY – Lorne Shields

When I was a kid, my friend’s grandfather, who had retired from the railway as a tinsmith, pridefully hung on the inner wall of his garage, two bicycles with wooden rims. These machines were made around 1900 and belonged to him (Austin) and his wife Rachel.

On March 18th, we will have the very popular Lorne Shields speak on the topic of cameras and bicycles drawing on his extensive collection of bicycle photographs from the 1800s and early 1900s. IMPORTANT: OUR SPEAKER, LORNE SHIELDS IS DEFERRED UNTIL LATER THIS SUMMER. PASS IT ON S.V.P.

Lorne is both a speaker and a PHSC member of long standing. He sent us this sample taken from the talk this month.

For those of you who don’t yet know Lorne, he is a Toronto native and an avid collector of historic cycling for the past 50 years. He has lectured widely on the history of bicycle photography, showcasing his own diverse collection of images. Artifacts from Lorne’s collection have been exhibited at the Smithsonian, The Royal Ontario Museum, and Museé d`Art et Industrie in St. Etienne, France. He has presented papers related to early cycling history in The Netherlands as well as at various venues in Canada and the USA.

The public is always welcome. Go to our Programs page for times and directions.

 

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train song

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Robert

H C Denkelberg photo c1918

Toronto. Leslie Feist sang the Train Song a few years ago. She became famous when Apple picked her 1234  song for an ad.

The photographer of this photo, H C Denkelberg, was an American photographer who crossed over to Sarnia from time to time which is where he took this photo c1918.

George Dunbar writes to Bob Lansdale, “My son bought this photo at a thrift shop. Shows the name “Great Grampa Corby, engineer” and a Sarnia photographer, who’s name is unclear…Dukelberg? (see verso pic) [actually Denkelberg]. Are you interested? Do you recognize the name of the photographer?”

Bob asked his contacts for help and Dave Tinder tracked down the details . Dave found this info in the Michigan Photographers list he has. Continue reading →

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photography for squares

Posted on March 3, 2020 by Robert

Yashika-Mat in March 15 2020 auction

Toronto. From the beginning of photography prints were either landscape or portrait (i.e. rectangular). A full-plate was 8.5 x 6.5 inches.

Then in the 1930s along came the famous Rollei twin lens reflex (TLR) with one viewing lens and one taking lens plus a negative with a square dimension of 6 x 6 cm. Prints could be left square or cropped either landscape or portrait! A new world was dawning! And like some other cameras, pictures were taken at waist level offering a different perspective at times.

Many makers copied the Rollei after the war. One was Yashika with its Yashika-Mat. If your collection lacks a TLR, you can pick one up at our March 15th Auction. In fact if you want to add to your collection of photographica, or user gear, be it film or digital, then drop in anyway! Remember both admission and parking are free… and what better way to spend a spring Sunday than with the ambience of like-minded folk and good food? See you there!

 

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a Leica to be remembered

Posted on March 2, 2020 by Robert

1932 Leica Standard

Toronto. My good friend and PHSC member, Celio Barreto, sent along this February 21st article from Kosmo Foto, “The WW2 Leica buried by a German soldier’s widow” The Leica in question is a rare 1932 Standard model.

In prior years, unconverted Leica cameras (including  the leaf shuttered model “b”s) had a fixed 5cm lens with a “hockey stick” shaped infinity stop on the body. In 1932, Leica made  a model with interchangeable lenses. As the distance from film to lens at the time was not standardized, each extra lens was sold with the camera and engraved with the last three digits of the camera body it was intended to fit for an accurate and consistent rangefinder setting.

Late the same year, the film to lens distance was standardized at 28.8mm making any camera body made thereafter and any lens interchangeable. When the bayonet M series arrived post war, it had a thicker body BUT a 1mm shorter film to lens distance of 27.8mm giving rise to the rings that allowed screw-mount lenses to fit M mount cameras.

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of stone is exhibited

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Robert

Steven Evans does an exhibition of his work at the Hello Gallery.  March 20 – April 14, 2020
Reception March 19th

Toronto. Member Steven Evans went out to the country side and took a series of photographs that are the focus of an exhibition in this city beginning this month.

Steven writes “After 40 years of photographing urban environments, I recently strayed out into the countryside to further explore the relationship between people and the places they live and work.

“I am pleased to have the opportunity to share some of this new work with you. My most recent collection, on view at Helio Gallery in Toronto, is titled de Pedra (of Stone) and focuses on the central and northern regions of Portugal where the locally sourced stone is employed in vernacular and religious architecture, art, roads and terraced farm fields.

“Crumbling huts, sturdy drystone walls, light-filled renaissance cloisters, intricately carved effigies and mysterious elevated granaries all reveal an ancient, intimate and persistent connection between people and their environment.”

Click on the icon above, left for a poster detailing the exhibition. Come out and enjoy the fine work of one of our members!

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… deja vu all over again.

Posted on February 29, 2020 by Robert

Holmes Stereo Viewers

Toronto. Exclaimed Yogi Berra, the NY Yankees’ master of mangled metaphors. He may have been referring to our auctions – or the lot with the box of stereo viewers (every collection needs at least one Holmes Stereo Viewer).

If your collection is missing one, drop in at our March 15, 2020 auction and remedy the situation. This lot of viewers is just one of many with enticing goodies for the collector or camera user – film or digital!

As a little boy, I once visited the nearby farm of a relative. I was led to a soft, comfy living room chair and given a strange looking device while the adults chatted in another room. Next to the chair was a table holding a basket-full of photos on stiff, slightly curved cards, two images per card. An aunt (?) showed me how to place a card in viewing position and adjust the focus to my young eyes. To my wonder, black and white scenes appeared in striking stereo! I spent the rest of the visit in that chair admiring each stereo view.

Remember, this was before television, when home entertainment usually meant  books or radio plus the odd magazine. Sadly, most newspapers and magazines had few articles of the slightest interest to a youngster. On a farm like that of my relatives, books and magazines were few in those days. And any 78 r.p.m. music records were for adults to dance to when the records were placed on an old wind-up Victrola machine. Ahh, such an idyllic time when we were young and carefree!

When I saw this lot of viewers, it was … deja view all over again.

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discovering blackness

Posted on February 28, 2020 by Robert

Martinique Women c1890

Toronto. Almost missed Black History Month (February). Mea Culpa. The AGO has a self-guided tour called Discovering Blackness in and out of the vault.  The self-tour begins tonight from 5 to 9 pm.

Typical of the photographs, is the one at the left of this post. The cut-line reads, “Unknown, Martinique Woman, c.1890. Albumen print, 15 x 11cm. Montgomery Collection of Caribbean Photographs.

“Purchased with funds from Dr. Liza & Dr. Frederick Murrell, Bruce Croxon & Debra Thier, Wes Hall & Kingsdale Advisors, Cindy & Shon Barnett, Donette Chin-Loy Chang, Kamala-Jean Gopie, Phil Lind & Ellen Roland, Martin Doc McKinney, Francilla Charles, Ray & Georgina Williams, Thaine & Bianca Carter, Charmaine Crooks, Nathaniel Crooks, Andrew Garrett & Dr. Belinda Longe, Neil L. Le Grand, Michael Lewis, Dr. Kenneth Montague & Sarah Aranha, Lenny & Julia Mortimore, and The Ferrotype Collective, 2019”.

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raising value

Posted on February 28, 2020 by Robert

these cameras are part of the March auction items

Toronto. Collecting photographica a half century ago was relatively inexpensive.  Few cameras were valued highly. Many bargains turned up in garage sales. Few books were available on the history of photography or cameras. There was no Ebay. No internet. One member in the early 1970s, owner of the Magic Lantern store on Queen West, said he went throughout Southern Ontario visiting every photoshop and studio to buy up any old photos they had. All stock for his store and his tables at the fair.

One thing became obvious, though. Cameras were saved but not the original packaging or instructions. Finding an old camera with its original box and papers raised its value making even inexpensive cameras more valuable – often the box or instructions were worth more than the camera itself to avid collectors.

Today, the peak interest in cameras has faded, there are books galore, and tons of internet sites making research far easier. Also, as cameras changed hands many times, they increased in market value. If you like the modest cameras shown here and their boxes, come to our mid March auction on Sunday the 15th in the Legion Hall in Long Branch where they will go under the hammer – remember there is no charge, free parking, food and beverages, and the ambience and camaraderie of fellow photographers and collectors. What could be better?

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