Bratty NYT Photo Collection at Ryerson

Posted on January 10, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. PHSC Meeting, Wednesday, Jan 17, 2018
Bratty NYT Photo Collection at Ryerson
Dr Denise Birkhofer of Ryerson University

Come out and listen to Dr Birkhofer speak on the Canadian Photographs in the Bratty Family New York Times (NYT) Collection at Ryerson University’s Ryerson Image Centre.

Denise Birkhofer (PhD, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, United States) is the Collections Curator and Research Centre Manager at the Ryerson Image Centre. Her scholarship addresses such topics as Mexican street photography, contemporary Latin American art, and female artists.

Most recently, she co-curated the exhibition “The Faraway Nearby: Photographs of Canada from the New York Times Photo Archive.” In her previous capacity as Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College, Ohio, she organized exhibitions on the work of Hugo Brehme, Judit Reigl, Brett Weston, and Fred Wilson, among others.

NOTE: This talk was originally planned for the Ryerson Image Centre and will now be at our regular location, Gold Room, basement  North York Public Library. The public is always welcome. Go to our Programs page for directions.

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an early Walcott Daguerreotype?

Posted on January 9, 2018 by Robert

Early Walcott Image?

Toronto. Photographic Canadiana editor Bob Lansdale prefers to collect old images rather than photographic hardware.

Last Wednesday our January executive meeting was hosted at his home. Pre meeting we enjoyed seeing a few of the interesting images Bob has collected over the years, especially from his trips to nearby localities not usually associated with photographica.

Bob writes, “Here is some description of the “pinchbeck case” patented by Wharton that would match the daguerreotype that I was showing last night…. and could not get open to show you the inner sardine-can-like unit that enclosed the dag itself.

“When I did have it open years ago there was the name COX engraved/scratched in script into the copper backing of the dag image. The case has Queen Victoria’s coat-of-arms impressed into the back of the case.

“I believe from the size of the image plate that it might have been done in a Walcott camera where a concave mirror was used to secure the image rather than a lens.”

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double your pleasure …

Posted on January 8, 2018 by Robert

Iloca Stereo Camera courtesy of
CJ’s Classic Camera Collection

Toronto. Fellow member George Dunbar came up with this period advertisement for the Iloca Stereo camera (version 1) from a January 1951 Popular Photography magazine ad.  You may be more familiar with one of the camera’s aliases, the Realist, or Tower (Sear’s brand).

The popularity of stereo vision has waxed and waned over the years. There was a burst of interest at the end of 1800 and beginning of 1900 resulting in the commonly seen curved cardboard stereo cards that offered education and entertainment before television. Stereo jumped in popularity once again in the 1950s with these 35mm cameras and the ubiquitous View-Master for children and adults alike.

Even books were written about stereo like 1954’s  Stereo Realist Manual by Leica enthusiasts Morgan and Lester. The book is filled with stereo pictures and a back cover insert of a special little pair of stereo glasses!

The 1950s also sprouted many rather high camp 3D movies as well. When camera collecting came into vogue, a society, the National Stereoscopic Association (NSA) and their periodical Stereoworld showed up and hung around. Leitz got into the act with various accessories for the Leica camera including stereo prisms (Stereoly) and even small closely matched 33mm Elmar lenses (Stemar).

And more recently, the brief burst of interest in 3D televisions, which died out due to the need for ungainly and expensive glasses and rather limited source material. 3D movies have arrived once again but are easier on the eyes and do not rely on obvious high camp 3D effects, but are often created at the same time as the less expensive 2D versions.

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Cine coverage of D-Day landing in WW2 – the saga continues

Posted on January 7, 2018 by Robert

D-Day Landing at Berniere sur Mer, France

Toronto.  The story of the cine coverage of the D-Day Landings in France has taken a final twist.  Editor of Photographic Canadiana, Robert Lansdale, has confirmed that video images are from three boats and by automatic cameras mounted on the LCA landing craft. Little is ever mentioned that film clips, seen in newsreels and videos, are by the Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit and the men seen disembarking are Canadians soldiers.

It been long believed that the film was by one photographer, Sgt. Bill Grant, who came ashore with the Queen’s Own Rifles. Other cameramen had their cameras drowned or made inoperable with sand.  American coverage was destroyed when the boat carrying it to England was swamped.

John Eckersley of Vancouver, a military history buff, has long contended that films show three boats – not one.

Dan Conlin in his book “War Through the Lens: The Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit” now mentions that 15 automatic cine cameras were borrowed from the American  Army and mounted as “stick-on cameras” to the gunnels of the landing craft.

Lansdale’s analyses of single frames plucked from the videos confirms that the coverage was from three distinct boats and all three cameras were mounted on the side gunnel.
Army film editors would grab the sharpest or steadiest images. So we can’t say that coverage was not retrieved from photographers on board. Their hand-held films would have the “jitters”. 16mm release prints were rushed to New York as newsreels. Only these survive today as all original negatives were destroyed in a fire later in Montreal.

If you would care to read the whole story as it appears in Photographic Canadiana 43-2 , click here.

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internal flash sync comes to the Leica

Posted on January 6, 2018 by Robert

December 1950 Ad
announcing the Leica IIIf

Toronto. George Dunbar finds a wealth of these old advertisements on line. This December 1950 ad in Popular Photography announces the advent of internal flash synchronization in the famous Leica camera.

Long over due, this feature was common in many other cameras of the time. To mark the occasion, Leitz skipped using the letter “e” in its model designation and called this series the “f” models – IIIf, IIf, If.

The ad boldly states synchronization up to 1/1000th second speed. This did work with special FP (Flat Peak for focal plane shutters) bulbs. Ordinary flash bulbs worked only with a fully open curtain aperture which limited the speed to 1/25 or 1/30th maximum (first curtain fully across, second curtain not yet released).  The point of bulb ignition could be adjusted on the”f” models

Leitz did offer flash sync long before the “f” models using special sync knobs on the shutter speed dial or a special base and flash gun for the IIIa cameras. Synchronization was up to a shutter speed of 1/20th second when the film frame was still fully exposed.

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long before digital we had Polaroid!

Posted on January 5, 2018 by Robert

SX-70 Polaroid Photo c1997

Toronto. George Dunbar sent me a few old photography ads including this July 1950 Popular Photography Polaroid ad. The Polaroid ad brought to mind many old memories.

As a kid in Allandale, I had my first camera – an old Kodak box camera. After I used up the roll of film with about 8 to 12 shots, I ambled down to the local drugstore. My exposed roll was sent off to Chas Abel in Toronto for processing and printing.

Developing the roll cost a dime while any frames worth printing added a few cents per print. A week or so later, my film would come back processed and – hopefully – printed.

Before Polaroid, finding out if your shots were good took days to weeks depending on how fast you finished the roll and where you took it for processing. All this changed in the late 1940s with Polaroid’s revolutionary “picture in a minute” process. But there was a big problem with Polaroid’s very complex and well built cameras and process: cost. The camera and film (and subsequent print) were far more expensive than a Kodak box camera, traditional film, and processing. Which is why so many Polaroid cameras were used briefly then set aside on the shelf. Continue reading →

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History of Field View Cameras

Posted on January 4, 2018 by Robert

E. & H.T. Anthony Phantom
Field View Camera

Toronto. Back around the end of November, Russ Forfar sent me the link to a History of Field View Cameras. Most of the 1800s, once photographic processes where announced in 1839, Camera were generally what we once called field view cameras

. These bulky instruments were mostly mounted on elaborate tripods since most exposures were minutes or sub-minutes in length.

Near the end of the century, when dry plates and then roll film became common, hand held shots in sunlight became possible using slow sub-second exposures. Even then, the larger cameras still needed a tripod for support. Shown is the Anthony Phantom camera patented in 1882 and made in the late 1880s to early 1890s

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Toronto Postcard Show February 25, 2018

Posted on January 3, 2018 by Robert

TPC Show February 25, 2018
Click icon above for large poster

Toronto. The Toronto Postcard Club is hosting its annual show this coming February. Ed Warner and I have attended on occasion to promote the society. Many booths offer photos as postcards and others allow you to “Pursue your interest in history with vintage postcards”. For example, I found some interesting old postcards of Barrie as well as seeing the odd old photograph and book.

The Toronto Postcard Club says,”Come to our Show! There are sure to be some century old postcards about your subject in the 1,000s offered for sale.

“If you like historical images, this show is for you.

“Accessible by TTC, parking is free at The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre [JCCC] in Don Mills”.

For details, visit the TPC at www.torontopostcardclub.com or email them at info@torontopostcardclub.com

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Rectaflex – an Italian 35mm SLR

Posted on January 2, 2018 by Robert

courtesy of Antonio Calossi

Toronto. My thanks once again to my friend and fellow PHSC member George Dunbar for this  vintage July 1950 ad from Popular Photography magazine.

The Rectaflex camera at the time was manufactured in Italy and is relatively rare as it was made in small numbers and soon disappeared from the market in the face of the wave of Japanese cameras that inundated North America a few years later.

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Happy New Year Everyone!

Posted on January 1, 2018 by Robert

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