Early Photography in Kingston – from the Daguerreotype to the Postcard

Early-Photography-in-KingstonTORONTO, May 22, 2013. Dr Jennifer McKendry, our guest speaker back in September of 2002, spoke to the PHSC on the subject of “Early Photography in Kingston”. The second edition of the same titled book earned one of our first publication grants.

This new book expands on that profusely illustrated edition. If you are an image collector or have a great interest in photographic history you will find Early Photography in Kingston – from Daguerre to Postcards of great interest. Copies are available directly from Dr McKendry on her web site. A special thanks to editor Bob Lansdale for bringing this book to our attention.

NOTE: July 18, 2013 I  killed the COMMENTS section due to INCESSANT @#W$%^ spam. Webmaster.

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Daguerreian Annual 2012

daguerreian-annual-2012TORONTO, May 22, 2013. Robert Lansdale, editor of our Photographic Canadiana and official photographer for the Daguerreian Society advised me that the Society’s 2012 annual is now available. This annual is a well known publication with many purpose-written and illustrated  articles on photography’s first process by acknowledged experts. If your interest is in old processes and specifically daguerreotypes, it would be worth joining. Check out their website!

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Old 3D Views at Nerd’s World Site

logoTORONTO May 12, 2013. George Dunbar emailed me to suggest these fine old stereo views. The stereos were posted by members Chris and Grace Hughes on their store web site. Chris and Grace have a photography studio at 986 Bathurst which is just south of Dupont in Toronto. Drop in for a portrait or a look at their collection of old cameras.

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Newsletter 13-2

Time goes fast when you are having fun…  or so the story goes. Here is another newsletter from our newsletter editor David Bridge. It is an interesting bit of reading introducing  our June speaker, another well known photographer, Richard Lautens. Richard is associated with the Toronto Star, our country’s biggest newspaper. There is a writeup on last month’s speaker as well, Chris Kennedy of the LIFT movie organization here in the city.

CW from Left: Cover of 13-2 newsletter, Zeiss Historica published by the Zeiss Historica Society, Auto Graflex Jr from the fair, Chris Kennedy on LIFT at the May Toronto meeting, PHSC Research Award winner Edith Cuerrier of Newfoundland, George Hunter exhibition at the fair, Spring 2013 Fair, and adaptor to connect iPhone to binoculars.

CW from Left: Cover of 13-2 newsletter, Zeiss Historica published by the Zeiss Historica Society, Auto Graflex Jr from the Fair, Chris Kennedy on LIFT at the May Toronto meeting, PHSC Research Award winner Edith Cuerrier of Newfoundland, George Hunter exhibition at the Fair, Spring 2013 Fair overview, and an adaptor to connect the iPhone to binoculars.

The issue continues with a photo essay of the Spring Fair with words and images by editors Bridge and Lansdale. Past president Clint Hryhorijiw reviews the book “The Canadian Militia in Photographs 1860–1910”. And this issue then wraps up after a few more articles and columns. Click here or the above icon to read or print the newsletter.

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What’s in a name, Eh Kodak?

Here, kitty, kitty

Here, Kodak, Kodak

TORONTO April 30, 2013. “Dat your Kodak?”, asked Quebecois farmer Plouffe who lived on his farm across the road from my friend Yves Tessier up in rural La Chute Quebec. It was not a Kodak that I had with me that day in the 1960s, but to the older generation in La Belle Province the words “Kodak” and “camera” are synonymous.

In the Globe this morning was this headline: “Kodak hands over camera-film business to creditors”.  This transaction with the Kodak Pension Plan in the UK was announced yesterday. It is said to include the Document Imaging line which was already under tentative consideration by Brother Industries. The deal with KPP helps to offset the 2.8 billion dollars Kodak is said to owe its British pensioners.

Once Kodak emerges from bankruptcy, it will be a company with one dimension – that of printing equipment and services to other companies. My Kodak printer/scanner is an  orphan as Kodak discontinued desktop printing last September.  Digital patents have been sold off to Apple, Google, Microsoft and others in a done deal.

So, will Kodak, like the Cheshire cat of Alice in Wonderland fame, fade until only the grin remains… ?

NB. A reader reminded me that Eastman has licensed “Kodak”, its trademark name in cameras. It remains to be seen whether JK Imaging will maintain the quality and integrity of the Kodak name. Their new digital cameras badged as Kodak are due this year, and one model has already been released – in China.
“Actually, Kodak will still be a name on cameras…they joined up with JK Imaging to produce a Micro Four Thirds camera with the Kodak brand name on it.  This was news back in January: http://mirrorlesscentral.com/kodak-to-produce-micro-43-camera/

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Richard Lautens – Toronto Star Photojournalist

Richard Lautens

Richard Lautens

NEXT TORONTO MEETING: Wed, June 19, 2013
RICHARD LAUTENS, Photojournalist

Richard Lautens is a staff Photographer at the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest newspaper. Richard took some time during his 5 years at the University of Toronto (ultimately completing his honours history and political science degree) to find a girlfriend who turned him on…to photography.  Work at campus newspapers and freelancing led to a stint as a photography summer student at the Toronto Star in 1987. Continue reading

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SPRING FAIR May 26, 2013

Spring-Fair-2013-smTORONTO (WOODBRIDGE) May 26, 2013. Every Spring we host the largest fair around featuring photographica – cameras, books, ephemera, images.

This year our fair is on Sunday May 26, 2013 and features an exhibit of the works of the late George Hunter.

Come out and enjoy the day while you pick up bargains in used goodies for collectors and users alike. Click here or on the icon at left to see and print the poster in full size.

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Newsletter 13-1

Our newest editor David Bridge is definitely getting the hang of things with this marvellous 12 page opus.

From Left: Cover 13-1,

From Left: Cover 13-1, Changing of the guard Clint Hryhorijiw and Mark Singer,Chelsea Jeffery at our Malton CONTACT show, The PHSC team at Photo Network Expo, A 19th century Indian photo from a book co-authored by our September speaker, Dr. Deepali Dewan of the ROM. Bottom: PHSC’s first Image Show held in the Legion Hall 101, Toronto (Long Branch), Ontario

In it, we learn about LIFT (our May program), the Spring Fair, a report on the April Business meeting and Movie Night by yours truly, a brief memorial to the late George Hunter (whose selected work will be on display at the Spring Fair), a report by Ashley Cook, curator of our first Image Show, photo essays on the participation of the PHSC at the first Photo Network Expo, and opening night at Chelsea Jeffery’s “Moments from Canadian Photographic History”, PHSC supported CONTACT display at the Malton Gallery, 2nd floor, Arrivals area in Toronto International Airport (photographs for the Expo and the Malton show courtesy of PHSC’s very own Robert Lansdale).

A new book on the work of 19th century Indian photographer Raja Deen Dayal is reviewed by John Morden and Sonja Pushchak. Co-author of the book, ROM’s Dr. Deepali Dewan will be our September speaker). The newsletter wraps up with posters, and the ever popular columns From the Net, Current Events, and Want Ads.

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Photographic Canadiana 39-1

Bob Lansdale finished another major issue of our journal. This issue, 39-1, hit the post office this week. Bob had to add another 4 pages to squeeze it all in.

From Left:

From Left: Cover of 39-1, The mysterious Flotmar camera, A night at the HH0fF archives, sol Lagault,George Hunter and his main tools – camera and airplane.  Bottom is a First World War panorama found on display at the 101 Legion Hall.

This issue reports on the mysterious Flotmar camera discovered by John Kantymir. Two monthly Toronto meetings are reviewed – the Tintype Studio presentation and the visit to the archives of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Etobicoke. We have the second of the three part series on erotic Stanhopes by Ryerson student sol Legault. The late George Hunter is remembered. All this plus the usual columns and inserts. We will have an exhibition of George Hunter’s works at this month’s spring fair. Join now to see this wonderful issue! Just click the “Pay Now” button at the top of the right sidebar.

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The Death of Kodak Heights

Kodak Building 9  Mount Denis

Kodak Building 9
Mount Denis

TORONTO, April 21, 2013.  My dad lived in Weston in the late 20s and early 30s when he first married my mom. He and his older brother ran an auto wreckers/garage there at the time. A few years later dad moved north to join two other brothers in the same business in Allandale, where I grew up.

I was born in Long Branch on 40th street and all my baby photographs were taken with a Kodak Six-20 folder made in Kodak Heights. Dad used to talk about driving by Kodak and taking various roads like Scarlett Road. He often mentioned both Mount Denis and Weston in his stories to me. My wife’s cousin Don Peneycad, was the personnel manager at Kodak Heights, and one of my neighbours was the resident electrician. Continue reading

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