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Stan’s Mystery 35mm Sears Tower camera

Toronto. Years  ago it was common practice to rebrand products from national factories for sale in large chain stores. Sears was no exception. Its line of cameras were branded “Tower” but actually made by mainstream companies in Europe and Japan with slight modifications to the originator’s other models.

It was common practice as well to use leaf shutters and a removable front element to adjust a better quality camera’s focal length. Steinheil, now long disappeared, made excellent quality photographic lenses last century.

The body, lens and shutter choice suggests this particular camera was a product of Germany’s famous Braun factory.  Confirmation and more historical details are most welcome – drop me a line.

Lizzie and Art Mosher in the late 1930s

Toronto. Professionals liked the larger negatives and glass plates last century before the onslaught of the minicam. The plates and cut films could be easily retouched by a skilled practitioner.  Contrast could be varied or features emphasized by careful use of pencil lead and an x-acto knife. The lead could emphasize detail or lighten highlights while the x-acto knife could carefully scrape away layers of emulsion to deepen the shadows.

Colour was a fading proposition in the mid last century. More  permanent black and white prints could be coloured with inks applied to the surface. Special dyes were sold that covered a wide gamut of colours. I remember a studio in Midland, Ontario that offered large hand coloured prints based on a monochrome portrait taken by them. They emphasized the durability and permanency of this rather expensive approach.

My grandparents had a black and white portrait taken outdoors in the mid to late 1930s at their home in Long Branch. When their daughter married my father and moved north of the city, my dad had the print coloured. Continue reading →