bulls eye!

Posted on July 15, 2024 by Robert

Production of No. 2 Bulls-Eye Special, 1898 model. Note box with Brownell name – courtesy of the F. B. Mehlenbacher collection

Toronto. In issue 38-3 we reproduce Frank B. Mehlenbacher’s well researched tale of the world’s largest camera manufacturer and its connection with Kodak in Rochester. The manufacturer, Brownell, was born in Ontario and moved to the States when he was 11 years old.

The fine article begins, “For the first two decades after the founding of the Eastman Dry Plate Company, the photographic equipment that the firm marketed was manufactured under contract by Frank A. Brownell of Rochester, New York.

“In this article his grandson Frank Brownell Mehlenbacher reviews the business relationship of his grandfather and George Eastman. Before signing his exclusive contract with Eastman, Brownell manufactured a large variety of studio and professional cameras. Mr. Mehlenbacher has drawn on his personal collection of surviving corporate records and photographs to give us this view of an early Rochester industrialist.

“He also briefly highlights several of the early cameras manufactured by Frank A. Brownell and sold under the Eastman name, cameras that contributed significantly to the popularity and growth of photography during the infancy of the Eastman business. We are grateful to Mr. Mehlenbacher for writing this article.”

Members thoroughly enjoyed this article in issue 38-3 dated December 2012. More recently members read this issue on our DVD which includes all journal issues from volume 1 to volume 40. You say you are not a member? Well that is so easy to solve! Go to the right sidebar or up to the MEMBERSHIP menu item and join today! Your DVD will be sent promptly via Canada Post.

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postcard from the edge … of summer

Posted on July 14, 2024 by Robert

PHSC President
Clint Hryhorijiw

Toronto. Summer is here again and your executive will be off for a bit of a rest after our last executive meeting held Wednesday, July 3, 2024 (meeting #49 by ZOOM).

You will notice that the postcard below predates the popularity of colour (though some short lived colour processes were already available). Close examination shows the postcard to be a black and white photograph hand coloured. Its estimated date is around 1900. The station at Allandale was GTR until 1922 when it became CNR as part of the transition of the GTR to Canadian government ownership.

Regretfully, our PHSC newsletter has been put off until the fall session. If you would prefer your own copy, just drop me an email at news@phsc.ca. If you aren’t already on our MailChimp list, I will add your email.

Membership Secretary Lilianne Schneider reminds you to RENEW NOW to ensure you are notified when the next issue of Photographic Canadiana  is ready (this month). See the MEMBERSHIP menu above and/or our PayPal button at right. *Note that as of 2022, our membership year ends December 31st*. Also, as of 2024, membership fees are $35/$100 1 yr/3 yr Canadian regardless of the member location (one of the perks of pdf).

There are some program presenters being arranged for this coming fall. The meeting topic, speaker, date, and connection process will be posted here when available.

Plans are underway for the fall fair and the fall auction. Details will be posted here when available. There will be a small admission fee increase this fall for the fair. The anticipated date of the fall auction is a weekend day in November.

Co-editor David Bridge and partner Louise Freyburger  plan to issue 50-1 of the PHSC journal late this month (July 2024). They apologize for the delay which is due to other commitments. Our journal is in ‘pdf format only’. Each issue is available for download after the MailChimp notification. Important: if  you have UNSUBSCRIBED to our MailChimp list, you will not receive notification nor Photographic Canadiana nor other info. MailChimp does not permit me to reinstate that specific email address. If you change email addresses, please tell us.  Members who  HAVE NOT seen any notification for the journal since registering/renewing can email me at info@phsc.ca for assistance.

Our social media editor reports some active discussion over her Fred Herzog article.

As a non-profit society, we always need volunteers. If you feel you can help in any capacity, email me at info@phsc.ca and I will advise our president. Meanwhile, as they say, see you in September …

Allandale Ontario Station c1906 or earlier and boating on Kempenfeldt bay (the ‘d’ was dropped mid last century). This is a slight crop of the original by The Valentine & Sons’ Publishing Co. 100942

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pre dating the reflex

Posted on July 13, 2024 by Robert

A Ross Portable Divided Camera from the late John Kantymir collection

Toronto. Camera makers could design a camera that used a lens to view and a second one to capture the scene, but did not know how to name the design. The term “divided camera’ fell flat and the term ‘reflex’ or ‘twin lens’ took over.

In his column “A Treasure from my Collection”, the late John Kantymir features a Ross Portable Divided Camera, made to improve upon then current designs.

John begins his story, “This camera is one of the early reflex cameras to come on the market. Its name even denotes that early part of photographic history as they used the name “Divided Camera” before the word “reflex” came into common use for such cameras. The name did not last as it was later designated the “Portable Twin Lens Camera.”

“Many people visit my coin shop in Niagara Falls and it was through one such American tourist that I learned of an 80 year old gentleman in Pennsylvania who was clearing out his home. I soon made contact and negotiated a price for this late nineteenth-century beauty. I bought it about four years ago, a year after my Dad died. I’m sure he would have been proud to add it to our collection.

“The camera is horizontal in format so it was designed for scenics rather that portraiture. In Michael Auer’s book The Illustrated History of the Camera, he describes the later model as “designed especially for lady photographers, being light and reasonably compact when the front was retracted and the double doors closed.” I think it was easier to look through the reflex viewer rather than fumble under a photographer’s dark cloth and mess up a lady’s hatted coiffure.”

Members continued the story in issue 38-3 of our journal, or more recently on the DVD mailed to all members. The DVD covers all Photographic Canadiana volumes from 1 through 40. Not a member? Well that is a snap to correct! Just go to the right sidebar or the menu item MEMBERSHIP above and sign up. Your DVD will be on its way via Canada Post.

Drop by the trunk sale this month and you may find a camera (possibly like this one) for your collection!

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think this Sunday, think trunk sale

Posted on July 12, 2024 by Robert

scene from our July 2018 Trunk Sale

Toronto. A favourite PHSC event is the annual summer trunk sale in honour of the late Larry Boccioletti. Pictured at left is a scene from the July 15, 2018 sale. As usual the sale will be outdoors in the morning hours.

Come on down and enjoy the fresh air and friendship while picking up something for your collection or user gear. We hold the sale come rain or shine (mid July is usually sunny). There is a poster and details for those who have forgotten (or are new to the sale).

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more colour choice for niche denizens

Posted on July 11, 2024 by Robert

Lomography’s Color’92 Sun-Kissed

Toronto. The folks at Lomography cater to film niche users who enjoy the ambience of film images not possible with digital technology (sorta like vinyl vs. CD audio fans).

If you are a film fan in or close to the GTA, you are in luck! Most Lomography products are available from Downtown camera (they process film too).

Browse the results from this film at the Lomgraphy press kit up on Google Drive. And remember, our fairs, auctions and coming Trunk Sale often feature films, darkroom gear, and film cameras.

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pas de duex

Posted on July 10, 2024 by Robert

the c1940 Kodak Deux camera courtesy of Stan White

Toronto. The late Stan White chose to highlight the little Kodak Duex camera in the column “A Treasure from my Collection”. Only retailed for a couple of years, the Duex was an ugly duckling to camera collectors.

Stan begins the tale, “I suppose that because of the extraordinary number of cameras that have been and are, that some will not get the collector-attention they deserve. According to the literature, the Kodak Duex is not particularly collectable or rare. Perhaps I had been unlucky but I’d never seen one until a few weeks ago, when in flea market, there it was.

“It was manufactured from 1940 to 1942. Its construction mirrors the shortages that were to come with the war and is mostly Bakelite.”

Stan’s column continues in our journal issue 38-2 sent to all members. More recent members can read this issue on our DVD they received by mail. It includes pdfs of all volumes of Photographic Canadiana from  1 to 40. No DVD? Not a member? Well, you can easily fix that! Just go to the right hand sidebar or the MEMBERSHIP menu item above and sign up today!

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Dag-nab-it again

Posted on July 9, 2024 by Robert

Part of the Isenberg collection – photo by Robert Lansdale

Toronto. In journal issue 38-2, an article titled, “MATTHEW ISENBURG’S Collection Comes to Toronto” penned by our late editor Bob Lansdale expands on the then recent press release. Bob writes, “The Matthew R. Isenburg Collection of early photography has been sold to the Archive of Modern Conflict (AMC) for a record $nn million. It has been removed to its new home in Toronto where a research facility is planned for future display.

“This is the most significant and historically important sale of photographic material of the last 50 years although there have been other higher-priced sales in the past. The sale was agreed in April but held under wraps until a press release by Rob McElroy revealed the secret in July. (See our PHSC E-Mail Newsletter for July, Vol. 12-5.)”

Matt was an occasional guest speaker at our meetings and Bob was well known to Matt as both belonged to the Daguerreian Society as did our past president Dr Mike Robinson of Toronto who became curator of the collection at one point (Matt and Mike have each been  president of the Daguerreian Society).

Members can read the balance of this informative article on our DVD which covers Volumes 1 – 40 inclusive of Photographic Canadiana. Not a member? It is easy to join! See the right-hand sidebar and pay by PayPal or go to the above drop down menu ‘MEMBERSHIP’. A copy of the DVD will be sent off via Canada Post.

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kidding around …

Posted on July 8, 2024 by Robert

a beautiful late 1870s portrait of a child – from the Robert Lansdale collection

Toronto. … in the 1870s. Hard to imagine, but this crisp, well exposed portrait of a little girl is over 150 years old! Many prints this old – or far younger – have succumbed to fading,  lost detail, etc. This image, while upscaled in Topaz Photo AI and sharpened slightly in Focus Magic, is still an eye-catching portrait of a small child. In fact, even unadjusted it was used as a cover shot on issue 38-2 of our journal.

Its wonderful shading and crispness – even a century and a half later is a testament to the photographer, and the unusual process used. Our late editor, Bob Lansdale says it best, “The adorable portrait on our cover is by Turner & Drinkwater of Hull, England from the late 1870s.

“It retains its full image from fading because it is a Patent Chromotype permanent print, otherwise known as a Carbon print. The Chromotype process lasted about 10 years before going out of favour for the more easily produced Bromide print process.”

Bob specialized in collecting these beautifully preserved photographs of which this is but one example. In other issues he published articles explaining the timeless process in its various forms and names.

The detailed and well researched articles on the Chromotype process are on the DVD we send to all members. The personal DVD which we mail covers Photographic Canadiana volumes 1 – 40, a full index, and other goodies.. Not a member? Just follow the steps to the right, or view the MEMBERSHIP menu item above. Sign up and the DVD will be sent to you via Canada Post.

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triple tengor tango

Posted on July 7, 2024 by Robert

trio of box Tengors – photo by Bob Lansdale

Toronto. After WW1, the German camera industry was in a crisis – too many companies making too many cameras that were very similar. The government invited  Zeiss to  the dance and the mighty Zeiss-Ikon was formed. Zeiss Ikon and a few independent camera makers like Rollei and Leica became the new German camera industry.

One survivor was the name “Box Tengor”. On the front cover of issue 36-4 of our journal, editor Bob Lansdale featured a trio of Tengors dating from c1926-c1956. The image was upscaled by Topaz Photo AI which also made the lettering a bit odd.

In Bob’s own words, “Three samples of the Zeiss Box Tengor cameras are displayed on our cover. They were part of the recent Engel’s Estate Auction and represent models from 1926 (at the top) through to 1956 (at bottom). This covers the turbulent time in Germany when it was trying to regain dominance in photography manufacturing.

“Germany needed foreign currency to pay off World War I debts and to stabilize runaway inflation. German camera manufacturers Contessa-Nettel, Ernemann, Goerz and Ica merged to form Zeiss Ikon in 1926 requiring the elimination of many competing cameras and models. The Box Tengor survived.”

Browse the web to learn more, or if possible pick up the very rare and massive (7.5 pounds) book “Zeiss and Photography” by Larry Gubas. This book was printed in Manitoba by Friesens. I purchased a copy as did a few other PHSC members when the book was initially sold.  contrary to some internet commentary the book is not “1.58 pounds” and did indeed have an editor (associated with the west coast publisher).

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soft subject, soft lighting

Posted on July 6, 2024 by Robert

a soft lighting study courtesy of a c1933 issue of Camera Craft magazine

Toronto. An unidentified writer (our editor?) said in a prelude to the article “Wither Soft Light of the 1930s …”

“I’ve been perplexed for years by certain lighting of nudes during the pictorial period. I don’t make any great study of nudes but such pictures, as per the sample, urge me to question of HOW WAS IT DONE?

“I know it must be flat lighting but it looks like some special effect has been applied to the image such as the sabattier process.

“I was trolling through a newly acquired copy of a 1933 issue of Camera Craft magazine when suddenly I was confronted with another example of this technique. And to my joy the author of the accompanying article, Fred P. Peel, ARPS, explained the whole process of his “Shadowless Lighting.””.

Anyone who has enjoyed Crime Scene TV (like the CSI series) have seen photos of the body taken wth a ring flash around the lens to create “shadowless” lighting. To enjoy the rest of the detailed and illustrated article, see Photographic Canadiana, issue 38-1 which was sent to members in May/June 2012 by mail. More recent members could also read this article on the DVD sent by the PHSC (covers Photographic Canadiana volumes 1 – 40). Not a member? Just follow the steps to the right, or view the MEMBERSHIP menu item above. Sign up and the DVD will be sent to you via Canada Post.

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