The Toronto CN Tower turns 40

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Robert
CN Tower Can-Ron Workers

CN Tower Canron Workers – Click to see all men

NEXT TORONTO MEETING: Wed, June 15, 2016
Robert C. Lansdale: Visual History of the CN Tower Construction.

The CN Tower is one of our proudest landmarks but Canadians treat it with little fanfare. Other countries are quick to boast about their special sites – the Eiffel Tower in France, the Pyramids in Egypt, London Bridge in England,the Twin Towers in New York.

Want to know more about Toronto’s CN Tower? Attend the photo lecture  presented by Robert C. Lansdale, Robert has spent a decade tracking down the workers who undertook to construct this architectural wonder.

The full title of his talk at our June meeting is: Visual History of the CN Tower Construction – A Visual Tour of its Construction & its Builders.  As the “seventh Engineering Wonder of the World”, the contribution of the CN Tower’s 1,537 workers, who toiled for 5 years, has been completely ignored, forgotten and swept under the carpet.

Starting in the 1960s, Robert accompanied his PHSC photographer-father to document Toronto’s newest architectural landmark. Now decades later as an engineer and historian himself, Robert has returned in earnest to capture a major-historical record of the CN Tower and its people.

This awe-inspiring photo lecture will be first presented in public at our Toronto meeting this coming June. Go to our Programs page for times and directions.

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Westlicht Austria to auction a Sico Kit.

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Robert
Simon's Sico Camera and some film

Simon’s Sico Camera and some film

Austria.  From time-to-time we add a post about the famous Westlicht Auction in Vienna.

Next month’s auction is special as it will offer a Sico Kit from PHSC member Sol Hadef in Montreal. Sol’s offering includes the famous Sico camera plus its accessories and original packaging.

The Sico is a wooden pre-Leica camera offered by Simons and Co. of Berne Switzerland c1922. A later model of the Sico uses a rim set shutter vs. the dial set featured here on the first model.

 

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Dave Eve Passes

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Robert
Leica M4 Case

Leica M4 Benser soft case

Toronto. Russ Forfar gave me a heads up that Dave Eve died on Thursday, May 5, 2016 in the Oakville General Hospital.

Dave was a member of the PHSC in the early days. Dave also repaired Leica Screw mount cameras and lenses.

I picked up a few Leica accessories from him in 1978-9, notably this beautiful soft brown leather case that fits my Leica M4 so well. While unmarked by any logo, the finely constructed case is a Benser soft case.

A memorial is planned at a later date and I will post the notice if possible here on our web site.

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Thru the lens, Camera Obscura to Smartphone

Posted on May 7, 2016 by Robert

Wat-Museum-Brochure---mcc-2Waterloo. Member Willy Nassau, retired professor from WLU in Waterloo, and now a Media Technology History Consultant, has collaborated with the City of Waterloo Museum on this special exhibition giving an overview of the History of Photography. The exhibit is on now and runs to September 30, 2016. Click on the brass camera lens to see a brochure on the exhibit.

PHSC members who attended our outing at Ryerson this past February saw Willy and his associate, John Durst with a reproduction of the first ever photographic lens designed by Petzval. The original was in a camera manufactured by the famous Voigtlander company. The Petzval lens allowed for much shorter exposures of the daguerreotype plates.

John Durst reproduction of original Voigtlander daguerreotype camera with Petzval's lens designed for the new art of photography.

John Durst reproduction of original Voigtlander daguerreotype camera with Petzval’s lens designed for the new art of photography.

 

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Annual Pinhole Photography Day

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Robert
George Dunbar - Selfie for Pinhole Day

George Dunbar – Selfie for Pinhole Day

Toronto. Canadian Taxes intervened with my intention to post George Dunbar’s mention of the annual Pinhole photography day. Fortunately editor emeritus Terry Wedge and newsletter editor David Bridge stepped up to the challenge.

George celebrated the date in a very modern, very novel way. George used an extension tube, aluminum foil with the requisite pin hole, a digital Nikon, and an electronic flash to take a selfie.

You can see George’s inspiration and that of others who submitted their creations here at the Worldwide Pinhole Day 2016  Gallery. Congratulations George on a clever and artistic way to celebrate this fine old method.

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The First Bicycles in 3D – Contemporary Velocipede Images of the 1860-70s

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Robert
3D image (anaglyph) courtesy of Lorne Shields

Velocipedist at Eagle Gate in front of Brigham Young’s home in Salt Lake City, Utah; the home of the Mormon church. 1869

NEXT TORONTO MEETING: Wed, May 18, 2016
Lorne Shields: The First Bicycles in 3D – Contemporary Velocipede Images of the 1860-70s

Lorne Shields, of Thornhill, ON, has been an avid collector and researcher of early bicycling history for almost 50 years. He has been a member of the PHSC for over 20 years and has spoken to us on a number of occasions. His lectures on early Cycling Photographica have been presented in Europe and throughout North America.

Portions of his collection have been on display at many public institutions including the Smithsonian, the ROM, Canada’s National Museum of Science & Technology (Ottawa) and the Museé d’Art et d’Industrie (St. Etienne France).

Lorne says the image shown above is a “Velocipedist in front of the ‘Eagle Gate’ at Brigham Young’s home in Salt Lake City – Utah; 1869.  This was the seat of the Mormon church. The photograph is considered to be the first Velocipede in the Utah Territory.   Anaglyph of an Albumen Stereosciopic Card.”

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

Continue reading →

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PHSC Newsletter 15-11

Posted on April 16, 2016 by Robert
Butchard studio at 145 King St East, Toronto c

Butchart studio at 145 King St East, Toronto c1846

Toronto. This our second newsletter distributed by MailChimp. Using the wonders of technology, editor David Bridge is in Florida while completing this edition of our popular newsletter. We begin by announcing our April speaker, the interesting photographer and past speaker Tom Bochsler, the May Photographica-fair,  and Mark Singer’s review of our March speaker’s talk on Berenice Abbott. A photo essay of our spring auction follows.

We welcome back our first journal editor, Terry Wedge and his article on the annual pinhole photography day (this year it’s April 24th). Terry’s article is augmented by a reprint of Herb Kepler’s Modern Photography article on making pin hole cameras.

Louise Freyburger follows with her column “New Photo Links” and a tip of the hat to George Dunbar for his suggestions. We see Vince Pietropaulo is working on a book about four decades of the Easter procession in Toronto’s Little Italy. Vince has begun a kickstarter campaign to cover publishing costs. Continue reading →

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Tracking the sun

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Robert

SolsticeEquinoxCube_Nagy1024-smToronto. My good friend George Dunbar sent me a brief note today about the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day for March 26, 2016. This site linked here is NASA’s picture of the day archive. You can browse back daily to June 1995 and see what picture NASA felt was worthy of promotion that day.

Today’s picture shows how Hungarian photographer Oliver Nagy recorded the sun’s path each day from the winter solstice last December to the spring solstice a few days ago using a pin hole camera and Kodak paper. He calls the result solargraphy Check it out!

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PHSC’s Three for Spring Bookmark

Posted on March 25, 2016 by Robert

Bookmark-3-speakers-2016-smToronto. Journal editor Bob Lansdale came up with a bookmark to remind everyone of the speakers onboard for this spring. Each speaker will be at our Toronto meeting held the third Wednesday of each month. Click the icon at left for a full version of the bookmark.

We begin with April and Tom Bochsler’s presentation on the Canadian war monuments and cemeteries of Europe.

In May we welcome Lorne Shields and his presentation on 19th century bicycles as shown in stereo cards of the era.

And in June, Bob’s son and namesake will share his research into a Toronto landmark on its 40th Anniversary – the history of the CN Tower and the men who built it.

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

 

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Spring Camerama April 17, 2016

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Robert

Camerama-April_17_2016-smToronto. Member Gary Perry has announced his latest Camerama show will be held Sunday, April 17, 2016 at the Delta Toronto East Hotel.

Click here or on the icon at left to see and print the latest poster for details.

For table rental, email torontocamerashows@gmail.com or call Gary at the number on the poster,

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