this art triumphant

Posted on August 7, 2024 by Robert

Unidentified children, ca. 1910 Robertson Matthews (amateur)

Toronto. Many of our members specialize in the collection of photographs. To cater to this audience, Ev Roseborough published detailed articles on exhibitions of the day such as the exhibition, “This Art Triumphant – A Photographic Portrait of Peel 1860-1930” presented by Peel Regional Archives in the Region of Peel Art Gallery. The exhibition ran from October 5 to December 4, 1988.

The exhibition featured both professional and amateur photographers from the towns and villages in Peel Township. The photograph I chose is an amateur photo taken by Robertson Matthews c1910. Photo collectors may have examples from Peel Township photographers of the day or perhaps can find such examples at one of our events this fall.

Ev writes, “Robertson Matthews began photographing about 1902. The son of a Methodist preacher from Albion Township, he was a leading expert in the United States on the international combustion engine. After receiving a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Cornell University he remained there as teacher for many years.

“He loved to return to Bolton each summer, making many photographs. These are not only  technically excellent but emotionally appealing.”

You can read all of this article and other stories first published in issue 14-4 on the PHSC DVD which covers volumes 1-40 of Photographic Canadiana in pdf format. This DVD went out free to all members. Not a member yet? It’s easy and inexpensive – see the menu item ‘MEMBERSHIP’ (cheque) above, or the PayPal button at the far right (card or PayPal account)  to join. Once registered, a copy of the DVD will be sent via Canada Post. Questions can be addressed to our membership secretary, Lilianne Schneider at membership@phsc.ca.

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treasure in an attic

Posted on August 6, 2024 by Robert

young girl, c1877 (1899?) courtesy of the Carbon Studio, NY and published by Alfred S. Campbell Art Co Elizabeth, NJ

Toronto. Our society includes folks whose passion is photos. This is a story of a portrait, a very special portrait taken over a century ago using a special process. The image here at left was the cover photo for the Christmas 1988 issue of Photographic Canadiana. The image at left was sharpened in Focus Magic and the curve adjusted to darken the shadows a bit at the expense of highlight detail in the dress.

For this issue of our journal,  Ev wrote a photograph-related tale, a tale about a beautiful young lady c1877 and a very unusual large, framed, photograph discovered in an attic. In an effort to determine the printing process used, Ev made 35mm shots of the photograph and finally resorted to inspecting the disassembled original.

Ev begins his story, “Sometime before his untimely death Gerry Ham, well known Canadian collector, placed a framed photograph in my hands and asked, “What is it?”

“I was never able to tell him, because a year elapsed before an answer was forthcoming .

“The original had been delivered to Gerry by llgvars Broks, Vice- President of the color lab BGM in Toronto, who had asked the same question.

“Ilgvars had been in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1986, at a house recently purchase by a relative. The attic was full of boxes, some containing family albums, tintypes, coloured black and white photos and a handwritten note book, all of which had lain unattended for many years.”

The full story and all the illustrations are available today on the PHSC DVD of volumes 1-40 of Photographic Canadiana each in pdf format. As a member, a copy of the DVD will be sent to you via Canada Post. See the ‘MEMBERSHIP’ menu item above or the PayPal buttons to the right to join. Our membership secretary, Lilianne Schneider is available to answer any questions you may have at member@phsc.ca.

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a midsummer’s holiday …

Posted on August 5, 2024 by Robert

Map of Simcoe County c1950s or so

Toronto. … with apologies to Bill Shakespeare.  A long weekend break for the working folk is a great idea! Traditionally, The holiday in question is August 1st and celebrated the first Monday on or after the 1st.

One or two problems: The name of  the holiday varies by time, city and province. Sometimes it is federal, sometimes provincial and some times municipal. This means some folk have the day off, others do not. Stores and entertainments may or may not be open that day in one city or another.

When I was a kid, we called August 1st “Simcoe  Day” in memory of John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada. Later it became the “Civic Holiday” and later still [in Toronto]  “Emancipation Day” while the defined long weekend remains the “Civic Holiday” (sort of).

Growing up on Lake Simcoe, the name “Simcoe Day” made sense to my young mind. No matter the name, it is a welcome pause after summer begins and before fall sets in. Happy Holiday, everyone! And as they say, “See you in September”.

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simply de-vine, my dear

Posted on August 4, 2024 by Robert

cabinet card with vignette – Gagen and Fraser Studio, Toronto

Toronto. Continuing on with issue 14-2, another article by Ev discusses an old print tool – the Vignetter. Ev’s article is called, “An old friend, nearly forgotten, THE VIGNETTER”.

The basic idea of this tool is to block out a bit or much of the background with no sharp lines between the subject and the background. For a portrait, the resulting head and shoulders print appears to be like that of a sculpted bust.

Modern denizens of the smartphone brigade even have an ‘edit’ feature for their photos called ‘vignette’ with the degree of vignetting similarly variable.

Ev begins this article as follows, “We often hear the expression “vignette“. The word is the diminutive of the French vigne, which was derived from the Latin vinea meaning a vine.

“It was attached to ornaments representing vine leaves, tendrils and grapes in ancient manuscripts, flowers, head and tail pieces in books. Later it was applied to any woodcut or engraving not enclosed by a definite border.

“After some search I found the above example [in the article] of true vignette lettering. Even if the early photographers couldn’t pronounce it, [vin-yet] they found the idea of soft edges very handy. It solved the problem of what to do with hands, flattered corpulent sitters, and resembled a sketched portrait.”

Well, you know the routine by now … Join the PHSC and we will send you your own DVD where you can read Ev’s story in the pdf file for issue 14-2. See ‘MEMBERSHIP’ above to use a cheque, or the buttons at right to use your credit card or your PayPal account. Address any questions to our membership secretary, Lilianne Schneider, member@phsc.ca.

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inky dinky parlez vous

Posted on August 3, 2024 by Robert

The Inky spotlight and a snoot

Toronto. Issue 14-2 has a wealth of interesting stories by the editor. This a story about a small incandescent spot light with attachable accessory snoots to create a small circle of illumination.

I used a variation of a line from a WW1 song as a title. I picked up a similar spot light years ago at a PHSC fair. The light by Kliegl Brothers has the snoot built in.

Ev tells a hilarious story of acquiring an Inky and snoots for his new studio. The tale begins, “The very thought of God admitting that you have more information than He is mind-boggling, to say the least. This small-scale working model provided me with valuable experimental data if that event should occur, and a moment so mirthful that I don’t care if it never does.

“After months of planning in the old “third floor studio” at Eaton’s [Toronto Store], the “new” commercial studio had just been opened. The walls were new, the paint was new, we had some new lighting equipment and I was very proud of this accomplishment, achieved with so much effort and so few dollars.

“Some things were necessarily inherited from the “old” studio; equipment and our Supervisor.”

Members back then could read Ev’s anecdotal tale in the paper copy of issue 14-2. More recently members could read the pdf version of 14-2 on their personal PHSC DVD. Not a member? It is both inexpensive and easy to remedy. Follow the menu  item ‘MEMBERSHIP’ above if you prefer to use a cheque, or go to the right hand sidebar to use a credit card or your PayPal account. Once registered, we will send your DVD via Canada Post. Any questions or problems, please email our membership secretary, Lilianne Schneider membership@phsc.ca.

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the Canadian connection

Posted on August 2, 2024 by Robert

Archie Johnson aboard his sail boat c1950

Toronto. Apologies to Gene Hackman and the exciting movie, “The French Connection”. In late 1987, one of our founders and a driving force for our fairs, the late Lauro (Larry)  Boccioletti, wrote an article in issue 13-3 called, “ARCHIE JOHNSON, an overlooked Canadian experimenter”.

3D movies have been around for some time – I saw one in Montreal in the late 1950s. But as Mr Johnson discovered, no one made any means for amateurs to record and project 3D movies.

Lauro begins his article as follows, “Last October, you may recall that we held our annual Fall Fair at the Lakeshore Inn, Toronto. As part of the publicity. the Toronto Star ran a photograph of me with a selection of cameras from my collection.

“The article contained a paragraph stating that the public were welcome to bring along any cameras that they wished to have appraised while in attendance at the Fair. We were delighted with the response. Public interest was keen throughout the day and at times the lineup was four deep in front of the evaluation table.

“The Toronto Star publicity had certainly paid off. There is, however, an interesting little twist to this story!

Members that year enjoyed reading Larry’s story and how he discovered the amazing gadgets that created and projected stereo (illustrated, of course). More recent members could read the pdf version of this issue on the PHSC DVD. Not a member yet? Join and read this interesting story. The DVD has all volumes of Photographic Canadiana  from 1 to 40. To join, see the above menu item ‘MEMBERSHIP’ (cheque) or the right hand sidebar (credit card or PayPal account).

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shadowland

Posted on August 1, 2024 by Robert

sinister shadows

Toronto. Perhaps the best known photographer who  used shadows to create special effects was Man Ray.

In the late 19th century and early part of the 20th century many now famous photographers created artistic photos like those the pictorialism era produced. Special soft focus lenses like the Leitz Thambar modified image sharpness to produce different artistic photos.

All this creative and artistic license came later. Throughout most of the 19th century, photographers strived to create accurate representation of their subjects, never mind artistic shots.

Today, for image collectors there are many, many ‘portraits’ and some work place photos but very few of the more artistic photos – be they interiors, flash, pictorialism, or other photos taken or modified to tell a story. We all have portraits in our collection and possibly some interiors and work place photos but very few truly artistic photos (perhaps because they were often highly priced as ‘art’).

Take a closer look at those old photos exhibitors offer at our events. Who knows, you just may spot an artistic photograph in our fall auction or fair.

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lights out …

Posted on July 31, 2024 by Robert

Last day of the famous Simpson Brothers Studio, Toronto

Toronto. The photo at left shows closing day at Simpson Brothers in Toronto. The year was 1955 and it was the end of the skylight and dry-plate era. Since the 1800s, photo studios clustered around the Yonge-King-Queen corner of Toronto. Editor Ev Roseborough shows his amazing depth of photographic knowledge in the issue 14-1 article he wrote titled, “Sammy Kay and Simpson Brothers – The end of the skylight and dry-plate era”.

Ev himself had a studio until well after retirement age called ERA – Ev Roseborough and Associate (there never was an associate as he once mentioned to me). The Simpson Brothers studio began in 1881 and changed hands (but not its name) in 1918 when Sammy Kay took over.

Ev begins his story, “Sometime in 1881, 357 Yonge Street, just north of Dundas Street in Toronto, became a photographic portrait studio. This in itself was not unusual, since there were many such establishments in the King-Queen-Yonge area of the city. This one was unique in that it established an excellent reputation, survived the Great Depression and continued in an elegant and highly professional manner to the end .”

Members back in May of 1988 enjoyed Ev’s article in the hard copy of issue 14-1 mailed to all PHSC members. The more recent members received a copy of the PHSC DVD and could read the pdf version of issue 14-1.

Not a member? It is both easy and inexpensive! If you prefer a cheque, go to the MEMBERSHIP menu item above. The younger set can use a credit card or their PayPal account by going to the right sidebar instead. Any questions or problems? Contact  membership secretary Lilianne Schneider at member@phsc.ca.

Note: this story reminded me of the Leonard Cohen song “Closing Time” sung here by Cohen himself. The late Leonard Cohen of Montreal was a terrific poet, song writer and singer. Late in life he performed a final tour which I had the pleasure of attending here in the big smoke.

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flashes of fancy

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Robert

getting enough light

Toronto. Our then recently appointed editor, Ev Roseborough wrote an engaging story in issue 13-5 called, “The Twenty-fourth of May – everyday”. Ev’s skills as a photographer make a point that to be a good editor one must be devoted to the subject and its history and  have a sound network of like-minded contacts.

Ev’s story tells the many ways photographers in the 1800s and early 1900s strived to show their subjects in the best light in spite of the terribly slow media of the day. His story covers the time before we had flash bulbs, electronic flash and faster emulsion speeds.

He gives a hilarious ‘critique’ of the poor photographer who chose the ‘Byron Lamp’ as show in the ad at left. An assistant or two or light stands would have helped …

Ev begins his story, “Photographers have been unwilling to be restricted to the use of natural light to make pictures. Whitening was resorted to, even in sunlight, as a means of shortening exposures for dark complexions.

“The use of instantaneous (or nearly instantaneous) illumination has been an important factor in the development of Photography.

“Fox-Talbot, in mid 1851 , used a powerful electric spark to stop the motion of a spinning object in a photograph, thus predating Dr. Harold Edgerton by some 79 years.”

Members continued Ev’s story, and other articles in the hard copy issue that March of 1988. More recent members could read the stories on the PHSC DVD which includes the pdf version of issue 13-5. To join the PHSC (or renew) see the submenu item ‘MEMBERSHIP’ above (for use of cheques) or see the note at right to join with a card or via your PayPal account. Once registered, Lilianne will have a DVD sent to new members via Canada Post.

Want a flash or other item for your collection? Come to our events this fall. Dates and posters will be posted on this site later in the year.

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kudos to Kodak

Posted on July 29, 2024 by Robert

An 1888 Kodak inside and out

Toronto. In 1888, George Eastman down in Rochester broke new ground with his then iconic “Kodak” camera. This marvellous invention has a name speakable in most languages.

For the first time in photography it was a camera that used roll film and came ready for 100 exposures. When the roll was finished, camera and film were returned to Eastman to have prints made, a new film added, and the whole package (prints, new roll and camera) returned to the owner.

In one flash of inspiration, photography was opened to many new amateurs! A camera and sensitive media light to carry, a camera simple to use, and exciting photographs to view and admire. All thanks to the dry plate, and inventors who created roll film and the means to ‘meter’ it in the camera. This earliest version used so called stripping film. The film’s transparent backing was not optically clear.

Editor Ev Roseborough described this cover shot to issue 13-4 as, “The original Kodak introduced in 1888, can be easily identified by the two brass screws immediately above and below the aperture. Approximately 5000 were produced before it was superseded by the Kodak No. I in 1889.”

Members back then (early 1988 could read the journal articles including histories of Eastman Kodak and the E. Leitz Leica. More recent members received our PHSC DVD and could read the pdf version. You can join or renew easily – follow the MEMBERSHIP sub-menu above for traditional cheques, or the right hand sidebar to use a card or PayPal. Easy-Peasy. Once registered, the DVD will be mailed to you via Canada Post. Problems? Just email our membership secretary Lilianne Schneider at menbership@phsc.ca.

While we can’t assure you that you will find one of these 1888 beauties for your collection at one of our fall events, we can say you will have a good time and meet friends old and new at our fall auction and fall fair. Dates  and posters will be in place this fall.

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