Little Pictures Difficult to See

Posted on December 28, 2024 by Robert

… little pictures …

Toronto. Ev and future editor Bob Lansdale visited the GEH in 1993 to join the Daguerreian Society’s 5th annual symposium. The symposium speakers were reviewed in issue 19-4 by Renaté Wickens-Feldman who taught photography in the Department of Visual Arts at Toronto’s York University.

She begins her article as follows, “On October 15-17, Rochester’s George Eastman House (GEH) was the site of the Fifth Annual Symposium of The Daguerreian Society. The meeting, held in conjunction with the Regional Photographic History Group, was complemented by five exhibitions at Eastman House and two at The Strong Museum.

“Most notable were the Eastman House’s ‘Now and Then: Making the Daguerreotype’ and ‘Language of Light: Masterworks from the Collection.’

“The 213 participants at the event (a three- fold increase over the turnout at the original 1988 gathering) were also treated to an optically dizzying 48 table Trade Fair featuring daguerreotypes and, to a lesser extent , antique photographs. The Fair, in turn contributed $5700 toward publishing the Daguerreian Annual.”

The title of this post is a put down remark by a ‘seminal historian’ who ‘is reported to have dismissed these daguerreotypes as “little pictures, difficult to see, of people no one cares much about.”

The rest of this article and more can be viewed in the appropriate pdf file on the members-only free DVD. Not a member yet? Join now (it’s really easy)! See the MEMBERSHIP sub-menu item above (form) and the article at right (PayPal). Send your cheque with the form or send the form and use a credit card/your PayPal account and your DVD will be sent tout de suite. Questions? Email Lilianne at member@phsc.ca.

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measure for measure

Posted on December 27, 2024 by Robert

a Leitz tape measure accessory for copy stands

Toronto. Are you aware that Leitz once offered a tape measure as an accessory? The company actually offered a few differing only in the type of attachment arm. The tape was black with  chrome markings – extending for 1-1/2 metres and marked in mm on one side and 1/16th inch on the other.

I didn’t record when or where the measure shown was acquired. Nor the actual cable code used (STAMA? STUOO? TUSOO?) depending on the arm. The black crackle arm and nickel frame holding a chrome tape casing is unsigned but obviously a Leitz product.

Used with  the various copy arms/stands, I imagine it became superfluous when the various focussing slides came to market.  And thanks to Bill Shakespeare for the title of this post.

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a Canadian-made enlarger

Posted on December 26, 2024 by Robert

Paquin Enlarger made in Canada (Toronto)

Toronto. Editor Ev Roseborough seems to have known and met dozens of eccentric folk in the photography business. Makers of darkroom equipment like enlargers were no different.

Ev has an article in issue 19-4 of our journal titled, “J.M. Paquin, Canadian Manufacturer of the ’30s” (please note that the article ends on the following page, not on page 16 as printed).

Years ago, I wondered why we saw so few Canadian products (like Paquin Enlargers). Other than Canadian Kodak or Leitz products up in Midland, which as far as I could tell (other than lenses designed by Walter Mandler), were manufactured or assembled here from designs created elsewhere.

For example, I saw only a couple of Paquin “Made in Canada” enlargers. One was in John Linsky’s collection (John had explained the Paquin to me).  Another showed up with a widow who wished to dispose of her late husband’s darkroom gear. After reading Ev’s article I realized why I saw so few ‘Paquin’ products at our events.

Ev begins, “One of the most abrasive characters I have ever met was J.M. Paquin. His dusty showroom was separated from the rear factory by a tongue-and-groove partition, decorated with signs such as NO CREDIT. Several glass showcases occupied this showroom, their emptiness concealed somewhat by a veil of dust mixed with the vapours from his japanning oven.

“In the show window, at 787 Queen St., W. in Toronto, there would be an enlarger or two surrounded by dehydrating entomological specimens, feet up.

“The proprietor was a short bandy-legged gentleman who always wore a battered fedora, (Brodie Whitelaw commented, “even in bed”) and a vest with a gold watch chain. Gold also formed a large portion of the most elaborate dental work I have ever seen, revealed only during a fleeting smile.

“J.M. made little effort to sell his products, you either wanted them or you didn’t. Although a flyer, loaned by Bill Belier, states, “see it at your dealers,” I don’t believe there were any dealers. He was short to the point of rudeness with prospective customers who were just looking. …”

You  can  read all of editor Roseborough’s article in the paper copy of 19-4 or the pdf file for 19-4 on the free members-only DVD. Non-members can join today. Read the MEMBERSHIP sub-menu above (Membership Form) and the article at right (PayPal). Send your cheque with the form or send the form and use a credit card/your PayPal account. Questions? Email Lilianne at member@phsc.ca.

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Seasons Greetings 2024

Posted on December 25, 2024 by Robert

Have a great holiday and a wonderful 2025

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revisiting an Italian viewer

Posted on December 24, 2024 by Robert

An Italian 20x and 40x viewer for a focussing slide

Toronto. The summer of 2019, I did a post on an Italian knock-off of a focussing slide viewer. The Al Who [L WHOO] mentioned in the above link was the code name for a Leitz 30x magnifier designed for the focusing slide.

As noted about five years ago, the San Giorgio company in Genoa made a short lived Leica copy and accessories. Time and the short period of marketing these products make them very scarce today.

Looking at the viewer, the construction quality is very much Leitz-like and a tribute to the famous maker. The Italian camera and accessories were all post-war, sold for those few years before the Famous M-series of bayonet mount Leicas took over from the original screw-mount gear. This change likely contributed to the demise of San Giorgio copies – that and the snobbery for German made Leicas.

It should be noted, that such high power magnifiers focussed on the arial view. The  focussing slides had a clear glass spot in the centre of the ground glass.

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some are good, some are not …

Posted on December 23, 2024 by Robert

a c2017 DSLR offered by a California company

Toronto. …business plans that is. While we can’t be sure of the web site (very cryptic today), the product announced in June, 2017 never arrived as far as I can tell. My good friend George Dunbar (who no longer has a land line, computer, internet connection, etc.)  mailed me the attached from an article he spotted in the June 2017 Photo District News.

The concept by a California based company is to give ‘free’ digital cameras (suitably disguised by a stitched covering) to those folk who enquire at their Palo Alto office. All digital shots taken with the camera are sent to a special server and are viewable via a special app. Files for any shots selected are downloaded to the customer for a US buck each.

But the idea seems to have withered on the vine. No surprise since smartphones, web sites, computers, etc., already around years before Relonch, already offered photo shots without extra fees, in fact, less than a decade later digital images far exceed those taken with non-digital technology from the very beginning of the art. Some sites do offer copyrighted  images taken by others at various rates.

Smartphones and their editing apps these days are beginning to mirror DSLR image quality and flexibility raising serious disinterest in using a bulky standalone camera and paying extra for files of photos taken by the ‘owner’.

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frame subjects from afar

Posted on December 22, 2024 by Robert

 

Leitz SFTOO sports finder with distance adjustment for 20cm lens

Toronto.   In early 1981, at one of our fairs, I bought an odd looking viewfinder from a Mr Hyman. Actually, he had a box of Leica stuff that I picked up. Most items were for use with  Telyt 20cm lens (not included).

There were a few copies of each item. The 200 mm viewfinder (SFTOO) is an enclosed black frame sports finder with a distance adjustment from 10 feet to infinity.

First made in 1938, the viewfinder survived WW2 and was marketed to around 1968. The examples I have are like new and likely post war (accessory foot and distance ring are both satin chrome).

Drop by one of our events – you may even find such a viewfinder for a Leica or other 35mm camera!

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compact but wide

Posted on December 21, 2024 by Robert

a folding 2.8cm viewfinder c 1934 SUOOQ

Toronto. Taking advantage of the rangefinder (no need for mirror clearance) Leitz marketed a pocket watch size extra wide field of view 28m lens – the Hektor 2.8cm f/6.3 ‘HOOPY’ in 1934. This little lens allowed for ultra wide outdoor landscapes.

Since the squinty little built-in 5cm viewfinder did little to properly frame the scene viewed by the lens,  an accessory – a special foldable viewfinder ‘SUOOQ‘ was marketed the same year as the HOOPY.

To match the camera body, the viewfinder was offered in both black enamel and in satin chrome (as shown here). When folded, the tiny marvel was like other single focal length viewfinder accessories for longer focal length lenses. Folded, it likely could be left on the camera even enclosed in a standard eveready case.

My copy (satin chrome) with its own tiny leather case was purchased in April, 1982 along with a much newer HOOPY in a bakelite case from another PHSC member. Drop in to our events and you might find a sample of this viewfinder for the Leica or other 35mm cameras.

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saddle soars

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Robert

a SOOUT viewfinder for a 9cm lens c1943+

Toronto. Leitz was on a roll with its accessory viewfinders complementing the squinty single focal length one built into the Leica.

During WW2, cradle or saddle versions were released (1943). The version for the 9cm lens was called a SOOUT. A subject distance adjustment was included and some even had a parallax adjustment.

These single focal length viewfinders where an alternate to the various multi focal length viewfinders like the IMARECT.

Most of the single/multi focal length viewfinders disappeared about a decade later when the M series cameras with their builtin bright multi focal length viewfinders came to market.

Drop in to one of our events and see if you can pick up one of these little gems for a Leica or other brand of camera.

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come here, you little rascal …

Posted on December 19, 2024 by Robert

1930s sports finder RASAL (RASUK with RAMET frame for 10.5 and 13.5 cm lenses)

Toronto.  … I pictured my mother saying as I ran out of the kitchen. When I was born, the movie short ‘Our Gang‘ or ‘the little Rascals’ was popular in movie houses.

Leitz began marketing the Leica mid 1924. The tiny camera became very popular quickly and various lenses and accessories were made and marketed.

To simplify ordering, especially for off shore agents, Leitz developed a code word for each product allowing economy and some consistency in the order process via telegraph. For example, the sports viewfinder shown here was a RASAL which combined the viewfinder (RASUK) and a separate ‘screen’ for 10.5 cm and 13.5 cm lenses (RAMET). The viewfinder and mask were first made in black enamel and later chrome (-CHROM added to end of code). Availability started in 1933 and ran into WW2.

The eye piece could be moved up/down for subject distance while the front screen could be rotated 180 degrees for different lenses. I found my copy in like-new condition with the original red box in June, 1980.

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