another view …

Posted on May 3, 2025 by Robert

 

half a stereo view from Stan White’s article – image courtesy of Bill Ivy.

Toronto. Stereos have often been used to give a dimensional view to photos. In issue 23-3, Stan White announces a “Treasure Trove of Gorgeous Stereo Daguerreotypes Uncovered”. Stan wrote the article with ‘photographs and research by Bill Ivy’.

The article begins, “A number of priceless stereo daguerreotypes and some images on glass dating from the 1850s have surfaced [late 1997] and are reputed to have originally been purchased retail in the 19th century and to have remained in the hands of  an American family for several generations.

“This may well be the first time this century [late 1997] that they are up for sale.

“Almost all the images are tinted and the majority are risqué. The tinting is beautifully done and, for their age, both the dags and glass are in remarkable condition.” …

Stan’s article in full, plus other articles appear in the issue 23-3 pdf on the free members only DVD/thumb drive. Want to join? It’s easy (see MEMBERSHIP above and at right). If you have any membership questions email our membership secretary Lilianne at member@phsc.ca.

Stereos (and lots of other photo collectibles) often show up at our events (see PHSC EVENTS at right). You can email our president Clint at fair@phsc.ca if you have any questions. Our next event is our May 4th auction this Sunday.

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PHSC Spring Auction – May 4th 2025

Posted on May 2, 2025 by Robert

 

Spring Auction May 4, 2025

Toronto.  Coming fast – our Spring 2025 Auction, tomorrow, Sunday, May 4, 2025 in Long Branch (south west Toronto) at the usual venue BUT at the slightly later time (see poster) – free parking [OVERFLOW AT GO TRAIN LOT JUST WEST of HALL] and free admission.

Our Spring 2025 Auction features goodies for both film and digital folk – photographs, cameras, lenses, accessories, books, and more. Come out and enjoy this event. Click on the AUCTION tab here or in the menu bar above for directions. Click on the large icon below and follow the instruction below the icon to see the lot slide show.

Everybody is welcome. There are many  really good items, some rare these days. Just in time to let you augment your collection or user gear!

Click above to see photos in roughly lot order (large photos are in lot order)

LOT SLIDE SHOW: We owe Clint a big thank you for photographing these lots, naming all lots by lot number and tagging them. The first batch (shown here) was uploaded May 1st. Another six (total now 77) photos added May 3rd and later on the 3rd another 15 for 92 lots on display. And still later the 3rd, another 13 added for 105 lots shown. A final batch of 30 photos (mostly Kodaks) were just posted bringing the total to 135 lot examples. Click on the montage above, then on the gorgeous old red Leica Manual (lot 001), and then on any lot icon to see the item  larger.

The photos in the slide show are in lot order (there may be some variation in the sequence of the thumbnails). Remember, the photos represent only a sampling of the lots to be auctioned Sunday. During the auction, the sequence of lots  is the auctioneer’s choice and will vary from the numerical sequence shown.  The photographing alone is a huge undertaking on behalf of the PHSC. This auction is a thrilling event with its wide variety of lots – something for everyone!

LOT LIST: Clint has created a full lot list which will be used during the actual auction.

LOT PHOTOS: The slide show of photos has been be updated frequently as photos were received.

Your left/right arrows will work to move from one enlarged photo to another. The red tags, black typed numbers, and hand written notations show the lot number – Enjoy!

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great balls of fire

Posted on May 1, 2025 by Robert

A serious fire in Toronto in 1899 when buildings were made of combustible materials.

Toronto.  In the column, “Image of the Month Series” by Robert Wilson, Bob chose a photo purported to have been taken by Alexander Galbraith. The photo is accompanied by a lengthy article titled, “Alexander Galbraith Began Long Career at Fire Scene”, which begins, “At 11:35 am on Friday, 10 February 1899, fire was noticed in the rear of the Gowans, Kent & Co’s Warehouse at 10-16 Front Street East in Toronto.

“Within a short time, the fire had spread to the top floor and then to the front of the building. The first fire crew to arrive quickly determined that the fire was out of control and sounded the general alarm, bringing the rest of the fire brigade.

“The fire was brought under control in about two hours, but it took the firemen over six hours to finally extinguish it. In their efforts, they used hoses at both the front and rear of the building as well as a water tower erected in the centre of Front Street as seen in the photograph.

“The firemen were hampered in their efforts by dense black smoke, and by sub zero temperatures which froze the water onto everything in the area. The fire destroyed the building, and all the stock held by Gowans, Kent & Co. with estimates of the damage placed at $150,000 to $175,000 for the contents and $20,000 for the buildings.

“Gowans, Kent & Co. immediately moved into 27 Wellington Street West as a temporary location and restocked with ‘a very large quantity of new English goods’ which had been in customs and in their outside warehouses.” …

Bob Wilson’s column in full, plus other articles appear in the issue 23-3 pdf on the free members only DVD/thumb drive. Non-members can  join now (see MEMBERSHIP above and at right). Any membership questions? Email our membership secretary Lilianne at member@phsc.ca.

Visit our 2025 events and see what items (and photos) can be added to your collection! All events are listed under ‘PHSC EVENTS’ at right. Up next is our spring auction on May 4th. Any questions can be answered by Clint at fair@phsc.ca.

NB. The title of this post is that of a 1957 song “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis. An ancient song to the smart phone folk but close to home for old geezers like me.

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a better view

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Robert

right-angle 5x magnifier accessory for Leitz mirror box

Toronto. In a recent post, I looked at the Visoflex  ‘chimney’ for the mirror box fitted between a Leica and its bellows. Even before the Visoflex series went to market, Leitz made mirror boxes like the PLOOT which came with its own chimney magnifier and eye guard.

An alternative to the chimney was offered in the form of a 5 power right-angle viewer accessory code named PAMOO. Early versions (like at left) used a mirror while newer ones benefit from a prism.

When the Visoflex II and III came along, the mirror box was sold with a 4 power right angle viewer rather than a ‘chimney’ which was now offered as an added accessory. The viewer used a prism.

When you visit our 2025 events (see PHSC EVENTS at right), you are sure to see items to add to your collection. Next up is our Spring Auction to be held on May 4th. Questions? Email Clint at fair@phsc.ca.

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not up in smoke

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Robert

Left 5x magnification LVFOO. Right 5x magnification OTVXO

Toronto. Leitz came up with a mirror box housing that converted its famous Leica rangefinder to an SLR for close-ups and telephoto shots. The first version (Visoflex I) came with the 5x vertical magnifier (LVFOO). A 45 degree 4x magnifier for eye level use was also offered (PEGOO).

A second much slimmer version, the Visoflex II (and later a more refined Visoflex III) came with a right angle 4x magnifier. A separate 5x vertical magnifier (‘chimney’) was also offered (OTVXO). Other high end camera and accessory makers offered similar mirror boxes,  bellows, and ‘chimneys’; some for the Leica and some for their own cameras.

Visit our 2025 events and see what items add to your collection! All events are listed under ‘PHSC EVENTS’ at right. Up next is our spring auction on May 4th. Any questions can be answered by Clint at fair@phsc.ca.

Note: The title of this post is a riff on the Cheech and Chong 1978 movie (a send up on the weed generation) “Up in Smoke“.

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one ringy dingy …

Posted on April 28, 2025 by Robert

a couple of Leitz rings to fit lenses to bellows c1960

Toronto. Who can forget comedian Lily Tomlin and her hilarious send up of the telephone company?

Leitz often separated the lens assembly from the focussing mount. To use the lens on the bellows, a ring would connect the lens (or lens head) to the front of the bellows.

At the rear, a Visoflex mirror box would join the camera body to the bellows allowing the assembly to be focussed and framed. Depending on the choice of ring/lens or lens head, the bellows could focus very close or to infinity.

In the photo at left, the ring on the right connects the 9cm f/2 lens head to the bellows II while the ring on the left connects any M camera lens – focussing mount and all to the bellows II.

Be sure to visit our 2025 events (see PHSC EVENTS at right). There will be many items there to perk your interest and complement your collection! The next event is our spring auction on May 4th. Event questions may be addressed to Clint at fair@phsc.ca.

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ye gads, a tryclopes

Posted on April 27, 2025 by Robert

a Haber & Fink turret mounted on a Leica IIIC camera

Toronto. Greek mythology had the Cyclopes – a gang of scary giants with one eye in the middle of the forehead! Issue 23-3 uses a photo of an unusual “three-eye” turret device mounted on a Leica camera as its cover shot.

The third party device allows fast changing amongst three different lenses. Shown here mounted on a Leica IIIC, the photo is described as, ” A Leica IIIC (Wartime) camera body with a [Leitz] look-a-like HABER & FINK (c1949) three-lens turret facilitating an easy choice of screw-mount lenses. [Member] S. Chen shows it with a 50mm Summicron, a 90mm “fat” Elmar and one empty location.”

The turret was an effort to allow rapid change in lens focal length long before Zoom lenses became practical for the average photographer. The device seems to have had limited success. A Leitz accessory version was made c1948 (very few sold). In the 1950s, 35mm still zooms were exotic, slow, expensive and had a very short focal length range. Movie zooms covering a smaller half frame (1×3/4 inch) were around much earlier.

All this changed a decade or two later when third party lens makers in Asia designed, manufactured and sold far more reasonable zoom lenses. Modern day digital cameras usually come with a zoom lens. My old Sony F828 camera has a Zeiss zoom built in. Typical of zoom designs, this lens has serious geometric distortion – especially at either end of its focal length range.

A separate French computer program (DxO) ‘straightened’ the distortion with dramatic results. For some years now such digital correction has been automatic.

Visit our 2025 events (see  PHSC EVENTS at right) to find interesting items for your collection. Next up is our May 4th auction. Questions? Email Clint at fair@phsc.ca.

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gold in those hills …

Posted on April 26, 2025 by Robert

Along the Teslin Trail, Faith and party inspect a Klondiker’s wheelbarrow used to replace a mule. – $140

Toronto. in issue 23-2, Bob Lansdale writes an auction topic titled, “Waddington’s Marks 100th Anniversary of the Klondike”. Many of us think about the romance of the Klondike gold rush in the Yukon territory in the late 1800s.

Bob was reviewing a book by Jill Downie (Passionate Pen) and begins his article, “Waddington’s in Toronto have auctioned an extraordinary collection of photographs, correspondence and personal memorabilia on the centenary of the Klondike Gold Rush. The material was brought to light by author Jill Downie while collecting biographic details for a book on Faith Fenton, an unsung heroine of Canada’s late 19th century.

“She defied conventions and restrictions placed on her gender, to become a monumental figure in the shaping of this country. With the completion of the book, family descendants chose to disperse the collection via Waddington’s at a time that proved auspicious to the Klondike anniversary.

“The book, Passionate Pen, reveals the life struggle of Alice Freeman (1857-1936), brought up in the Ontario communities of Bowmanville and Barrie. She became an underpaid school teacher for 19 years in Toronto’s lower-class industrial area of Front and Sherbourne Sts. It was a time when women’s place was in the home; schoolteaching served as a job of convenience until marriage would hopefully replace it.

“But Alice developed a hidden persona writing a column in the 1880’s for the Barrie paper, Northern Advance, under the romantic nom-de-plume of STELLA.” …

Bob Lansdale’s article in full, plus other articles appear in the issue 23-2 pdf on the free members only DVD/thumb drive. Not a member? Then join now (see MEMBERSHIP above and at right). If you have any membership questions email our membership secretary Lilianne at member@phsc.ca.

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camerama is coming! camerama is coming!

Posted on April 25, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. My friend and fellow PHSC member, Gary Perry, sent me an email recently to say his latest personal fair – CAMERAMA – will be on June 8th as noted below.  For information, email Gary at cameramashow@gmail.com – the text below is a jpeg and as such has no active links.

Camerama June 8, 2025

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the accidental collector

Posted on April 24, 2025 by Robert

A c1970s Leica M4 brochure

Toronto. I bought my first 35mm camera – a Minolta Super A around the late 1950s. I was amazed at the clarity of the f/2 Rokkor lens. About a year later I moved on to an SLR Exakta. It had a relatively huge view through its waist level viewer.

My wonderful Exakta developed a serious shutter issue so I picked up an older used one. Focussing, especially for normal and wide angle lenses in less than bright light was growing difficult as my eyes aged. Design for shorter focal length lenses was complex as the designer had to allow the SLR’s mirror to move freely while allowing the lens to focus to infinity.  

In 1973, I bought the massive 15th edition of the Leica giving me a great resource for reviewing Leica features by model. Shortly thereafter, I bought a Leica M4 with a 5cm f/2 lens and later a 35mm f/2 lens as well.

Other lenses I picked up were all used, some with anti-reflection coatings, some without. I joined the then nascent PHSC to find more used lenses and accessories. I became intrigued with photo history and other kinds of cameras. Suddenly I was a camera collector!

The other day, Clint dropped off a bag of Leica gear ready to be auctioned. To my surprise, included was an M4 body like mine, but manufactured earlier in 1968/9 (auction lot 862). Cameras like the M4 (and lots of other photo collectibles) often show up at our events (see PHSC EVENTS at right). You can email our president Clint at fair@phsc.ca if you have any questions. The next event is our May 4th auction.

While you are here, why not join the PHSC? See MEMBERSHIP above and at right. Any membership questions can be emailed to our membership secretary Lilianne at member@phsc.ca.

NB. The title of this post is a riff on the title of a 1988 movie, “The Accidental Tourist“.

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