Another Super Trunk Sale Coming July 9th

Toronto. The back scene boys have pulled together another super trunk sale for this July. We are hosting the 7th Annual Larry Boccioletti Memorial outdoor photographic trunk sale at the Trident Hall. Usual time 8am – 1pm.

Come out and enjoy this summer. Add to your collection. Have a great Sunday. And help the PHSC at the same time! Admission is free, Parking is free. Exhibitors pay a modest fee for a first come, first serve spot. Contact our coordinator, President Clint Hryhorijiw at 416-919-9617 or via email fair@phsc.ca.

 

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Westlicht Camera Auction June 10, 2017

A beautiful 1925 example of a “hockey stick” Leica I with the rare Elmax lens with cap, eveready case  – Lot 1

Toronto. A regular contributor of notices to this author is the well known Westlicht Gallery in Vienna, Austria.

Their latest auction next week is a fabulous opportunity for those of you wishing to augment your collection with some rare beauties. Take a look!

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Bulger Gallery Announces a Move

 

MoMA, NYC, 1959 © The Estate of Lutz Dille

Toronto. Stephen  Bulger writes, “After nearly 15 years in our current location, we have finally found a new gallery space in our neighbourhood that is large enough to accommodate our ambitions to be one of the world’s leading commercial galleries for great photographs of all types.

“On September 9, 2017, we open the doors of 1356 Dundas Street West to welcome visitors in a purposefully designed space of over 11,000 square feet. Designed by architect Michael Boxer, the new space will dramatically increase our exhibition space, include several private viewing areas, and better enable us to house the more than 40,000 photographs that currently comprise the gallery’s growing inventory.

“We will operate out of our current location until June 17th, then will move into the new location, taking the summer months to unpack and prepare for our first exhibition, which will highlight Larry Towell’s photographs of an even larger construction project: the renovation of Union Station.

“Since opening in 1995, Stephen Bulger Gallery [Photograph © Catherine Lash] has become synonymous with photography in Canada. Its extensive exhibition program of more than 180 solo and group exhibitions has introduced Torontonians to important local and international photography, has exhibited Canadian photography in special exhibitions at prestigious institutions around the world, and has exhibited in more than 60 art fairs.

“Stephen Bulger (Born 1964, Toronto) has played vital roles in the founding of the CONTACT Photography Festival and the Ryerson Image Centre, and is a past President of the Association of International Photography Art Dealers, which is comprised of over 125 specialists in photography from around the world. The gallery has sold work to important private and public collections in every continent, and is Canada’s go to destination for photographic art and artefacts.”

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Remember the Wollensak Lenses for the Leica?

Leitz NY 127mm lens for the Leica – April 1945

Toronto. PHSC Member George Dunbar sent me this April 1945 advertisement from Popular Photography. During WW2, Leitz NY continued to operate. One big problem: merchandise from Germany dried up. To solve one of the issues, Leitz NY manufactured lens mounts that fit the Leica screw mount cameras and designed in a style similar to the Leitz Wetzlar products except they used Wollensak lenses.

The telephone companies used Wollensak lenses and cameras as recorders for their traffic registers which indicated how busy their various routes were. The 127mm lens was made as a standard lens for the Graphic and Graflex lines so it had a far wider film coverage than needed for 35mm film. Similarly in Germany the 135mm lens was first designed for view cameras hence the seemingly vast coverage of the 135mm Elmar lens on the tiny Leica.

Leitz NY survived the war on its service department doing Leitz repairs and by selling some lenses and accessories made for or by them.

Leitz NY even produced a lens brochure. This four page example is from 1948 along with a sample page. In spite of the blustery tone of the marketing minions, few true Leicaphilliae believed the lenses were superior to the Elmars of the day.

 

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L Stedham, Photographer, Oshawa c1880

A High Wheeler bicycle – Penny Farthing style. Taken by Stedham of Oshawa.

Toronto. On May 28, 2017 PHSC member Sarah Shrigley sent me a note with this bicycle cabinet card attached.

Sarah states, “The Oshawa Museum has published this picture on their Facebook page. I know we have a member who collects these kinds of pictures, so [I] thought you might pass it along. BTW – “L. Stedham” is the photographer.

Member Lorne Shields notes the photo is a “nice Canadian High Wheel Photo”.

The Oshawa Museum stated that it had several examples of Stedham photographs in its archives. This example of a bicycle would be have been taken around 1880. The penny-farthings were introduced in 1870 France and lasted about two decades. The safety bicycle and chain drive replaced these picturesque machines.

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Visiting the Family Camera Exhibit at the ROM

The Family Camera exhibition at the ROM

Toronto.  Both Bob Lansdale and Wayne Gilbert were a bit under the weather Tuesday night (May 30th), so Carol’s cousin Al dropped me off at Kipling Subway and I came to the ROM via the better way. Fortunately as I walked up the subway stairs at Museum station, I spotted David and Louise just ahead of me. We popped out at street level by the ROM and went down the steps by the south entrance to the George Weston Wing (I would have used the wrong entrance, left on my own).

Waiting for Godot… actually waiting for our 7pm entry to the ROM – photo by George Dunbar

Continue reading

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Rachel Levy – Impressionist Photographer

 

Rachel Levy – Iris Impression

Toronto. GADCOLLECTION in Paris sent me a quick note that photographer Rachel Levy is having a short exhibition in their gallery of her series called in the gardens of the Louvre from June 1 to 7, 2017. Rachel will be present in their gallery this Saturday, June 3 from 4:30 to 6:30 local time.

Born in Casablanca, Morocco, in 1955, Rachel moved to France and thence to the USA. After over a decade there, she returned to France in 1984. She’s been a free-lance photographer for many magazines while pursuing her own path. Today, she has a real passion for plants. Flowers are her muses. By photographing those flowers that are neither fresh nor rare, she explores in an utmost anthropological  and modern way – the classical theme of the botanical sheet.

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That Film Plane Thing Again

Curved Digital Sensor

Toronto. Well over a half century ago a young Latvian designed the amazing Minox spy camera. For a time, some models used a novel idea to add to the lens correction – the film plane was slightly curved along its longer side. A similar approach was taken with the Minox enlarger. Camera and enlarger were both used wide open (no aperture). I had the enlarger and two versions of the tiny camera with the curved film plane – the Model IIIs and the Model B.

Recently, Russ Forfar dropped me a note say that Science Daily in its Science News section on May 30th described how scientists had created a curved digital sensor. The curve allows a sharper lens when used wide open giving better resolution under low light situations. Shades of that old Minox spy camera! (Minox is still around today.)

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Celebrating 150 years of Canadian Photo History

Celebrating Canada’s 150th

NEXT TORONTO MEETING: Wed, June 21, 2017
About a half dozen speakers: Celebrating One-Five-Oh!

Our promotions editor Sonja Pushchak said it best:
“Join us for Victorian cupcakes and the sort of
coffee Sir John A. used to drizzle on his whiskey.
A particularty Canadian lineup of six speakers on
photography in the last 150 years. We’ll show you
the delights of 3D, the slippery nature of Wet Plate,
photography that’s above your head and other nifty
topics exclusive to the Great Whimsical North. And
be part of the really big group portrait we’re shooting
with a really big camera!”

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

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Fun Time at our Spring Fair

PHSC Spring Fair May 28, 2017

Toronto. Sunday was a great day! We had a terrific time at the spring fair on a warm and sunny day in Toronto. The attendance was steady and strong, the dealers enjoyed a brisk business, and we had a great time browsing the  tables and chatting with friends old and new.

From what I could see, everyone was enjoying the outing. I met folks from Michigan, from Montreal, and of course from Toronto and Mississauga. Congratulations to Mark, Clint, John and Sonja for a job so very well done!

Membership’s Wayne Gilbert in front of PHSC display booth

John Linsky and friend at his table

Nifty late 1800s Carl Zeiss Microscope at Sid Lipkowitz’s  table

Russ Forfar checking under his table

A table of cameras for old news hounds

The gang’s all here

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