winging it …

Posted on November 26, 2024 by Robert

Amateur’s Enlarging Camera No. 1 courtesy of Rob Niederman and the MiPHS Photogram

Toronto. The latest issue of the Photogram is now available to all members of the Michigan PHS (MiPHS).

Included in issue 52, 4 is this article on the “Amateur’s Enlarging Camera No. 1” by Rob Niederman. As Rob explains, until around 1900 enlarging was not straight forward. While the ‘camera’ is manufactured by Simon Wing, it is actually an enlarger of a fixed magnification.

You can read this article and others such as a history of Polaroid by joining MiPHS. By the way, in this issue are some photos of our president Clint Hryhorijiw who served as auctioneer at their recent fall show.

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squaring a different circle …

Posted on November 25, 2024 by Robert

a lens board and a brass Cooke Primoplan 4 inch, f/6.3 lens

Toronto. From the beginnings of photography until well into the last century a common camera design was the field camera or its many variations. Basically the sensitive media was separated from the lens and (when needed) shutter mechanism by a sliding box affair, bellows, etc.

Early on it was determined that the lens board and its lens could be swapped out to vary the focus of the camera. A rack and pinion, sliding box, friction mechanism, etc allowed the lens-to-media distance to be changed to focus the subject on the media.

In yesterday’s auction was a Cooke Primoplane lens mounted on a Taylor, Taylor, Hobson (TT&H) lens mount and lens board. Someone won lot 391 and took home this gem. The brass lens is marked 4 inch (focal length), f/6.5, Series VIIA. As a lens name Cooke is still quite active while the name TT&H seems to have faded into history (Cooke was once a trade name for lenses designed by a different mr Taylor and manufactured by TT&H).

Kingslake in his book ,”A History of the Photographic Lens“, has an interesting section on Cooke triplets (chapter seven) and the relationship between the inventor of Cooke lenses and their  manufacturer, TT&H.

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a book for November …

Posted on November 24, 2024 by Robert

lot 606 – CAMERAS by Brian Coe

Toronto. .. to paraphrase the Walter Lord tale, “A Night to Remember” about the Titanic – I Read it about sixty or so years go. One of the books in today’s auction is CAMERAS by the late Brian Coe, curator of Kodak’s Museum in the UK at the time.

Other soft cover books by Brian were the principle basis for the talk I gave years ago during the infamous “dog and pony” shows I did with the late Don Douglas and his Ansco collection.

A copy of “CAMERAS” is lot 606 in today’s PHSC fall estate auction. It is a delightful book covering the history of cameras from the 1830s to the days of instant pictures. What adds to its appeal is the profuse use of line drawings and colour drawings of epic camera designs and how their features work.

Someone will take home a great book from 1978!

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by any other name …

Posted on November 23, 2024 by Robert

A 35mm Kiev with case is lot 48 in Sunday’s auction.

Toronto. One of my co-workers commented years ago that a client (he was in the debt consolidation business at the time) had given him a new ‘Leica’ and the accessory lenses. Well, that sparked my interest.

My family visited his and after some chatter, Henry took me to the bedroom, bent down, and slid a cardboard box out from under the bed. Nestled inside with  a few lenses was a brand new … Kiev! Not a Leica but a Russian copy (sort of) of the famous German Contax. The Kiev was manufactured at the time in the Ukraine.

I have seen the odd one over the years, so imagine my surprise when this little beauty showed up as lot 48 in this Sunday’s auction! When the Kiev was manufactured, Germany having lost WW2 was thoughtfully ‘quartered’ by the victors – UK, USA, France and … Russia. Soon copies of high end cameras emerged from the USSR. Be they Leicas or Contaxes, they were made in the Ukraine.

Join us at the Sunday Estate auction – free parking, free admission and a very friendly crowd. A great way to pass a Sunday afternoon. A slide show of the lots and directions, times, etc are shown here.

 

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lots and lots to list

Posted on November 22, 2024 by Robert

lot list fall 2024 auctin

Toronto. Our fall estate auction is coming up quickly (this coming Sunday, Nov 24, 2024).

In addition to the slide show of lots, Clint has provided a list of items in the auction. Both the photos and list are updated frequently on this post – be sure to check the post frequently as the auction approaches.

Free admission; free parking; friendly atmosphere. The above link to the post and poster give details. Come on out to augment your collection/user gear!

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if it moves, shoot it ….

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Robert

lot 384 – a GAF (Ansco) movie camera

Toronto. The old military expression was “If it moves salute it; fi it doesn’t, paint it” In this post I had in mind movie cameras. Our coming auction this Sunday has a wealth of lots – camera, lenses, movie cameras, still cameras and more.

Come down to Long Branch and enjoy the excitement of the auction – you may even get something to fill that hole in your collection/user gear. If not, how about a unique Christmas gift? See this post/poster for details (and a slide show of the lots). Free admission, free parking, and a chance to greet friends old and new. What a great way to enjoy a Sunday afternoon!

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origami and photography

Posted on November 20, 2024 by Robert

lot 459 is a lovely blue Agfa Ansco folding camera

Toronto. You may wonder what on earth the Japanese art of paper folding has to do with our favourite pastime – photography. Glad you asked. Origami takes a flat object like a sheet of paper and in a few folds, makes a recognizable 3D object. Now reverse this! In the first half of last century, one camera design was the folding camera. A bellows separated the film and lens board for exposure of a subject.

When finished, pressing down on a unique pair of braces collapsed the bellows and lens board into the body of the camera and folded over the lens baseboard to cover the hole the bellows, etc. disappeared into. In fact, Kodak made so many cameras of this design that they are affectionately known as “folders” regardless of the maker.

Other makers used the folder design for cameras (like the Agfa-Ansco camera at left). Everyone needs at least one folder in their collection (I have).

Come on down to our auction this  Sunday (see post/poster here). The post includes a frequently updated slide show of the lots as photos are received. So far the slide show has been updated at least seven times! Free admission, free parking, friendly folk, etc.

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lots of little boxes

Posted on November 19, 2024 by Robert

sample box lot from our fall estates auction Sunday

Toronto. Our fall auction on November 24th (Sunday)  will have many box lots – this feature means a successful bid will take all in the box (the auctioneer will emphasize the rare case when a box lot is not so covered – usually books).

Drop by on Sunday to add to your collection or user gear. Free admission, free parking and a great way to see fellow collectors and friends be they old or new!

The post/poster here gives details and a slide show of lots as they are photographed (seven updates have been made as of November 17th).

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getting to the auction day …

Posted on November 18, 2024 by Robert

lot 179 – a digital Canon EOS and lens etc.

Toronto. …. with apologies to Dennis Waterman and the theme song for New Tricks. Our fall auction date of November 24th is less than a week away.

Mark your calendar now! It’s a great way to spend a late fall Sunday afternoon.

All the gory details are in this post/poster. And there is a slide show too. Many of the lots are on display now (six updates so far) – the post will continue to be updated as more photos arrive.

Come on down to Long Branch – free admission; free parking; and a way to add to your collection/user gear. Besides you will have chance to greet many friends old and new. Any questions? Drop Clint (our president AND auctioneer) a line at fair@phsc.ca.

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flights of film …

Posted on November 17, 2024 by Robert

Lot 245 shows just some of the many film lots ready for the Nov 24 auction

Toronto. … or is it flights of fancy? Whatever. We are closing in on our fall auction date of November 24, 2024!

Be sure to join us and have a great Sunday, see old friends, find lots of neat goodies for the collection or user gear.

Details are dead simple! Just see the post/poster here. There are photos of many lots too. Free parking, free admission, easy access to the area. Be cozy indoors on this coolish November day.

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