BHM – British Columbia’s Black Pioneers

Posted on February 13, 2024 by Robert

Victoria BC c1859 (Image A-03038 Courtesy of Royal BC Museum and Archives.)

Toronto. My good friend, George Dunbar, discovered a site managed by Digital Museums Canada. This site, Community Stories, offers a timely story titled, “British Columbia’s Black Pioneers: Their Industry and Character Influenced the Vision of Canada“.

“Their story is unlike any other story in Canada. As the Fraser Gold Rush was heightening, the British desperately needed settlers and they needed them quickly, settlers who could help to cement Victoria, the capital of the Colony of Vancouver Island, as a British administrative, business and mining hub, thwarting any attempts by the Americans to assert territorial authority.

“This exhibit reveals how a group of about 800 Black immigrants, invited to settle here by Governor James Douglas, helped to stabilize British colonial communities and keep this area of Western Canada from American hands. At the time of this migration, the province of British Columbia, as we know it today was made up of the Colony of Vancouver Island and the Colony of British Columbia. James Douglas was the Governor of both colonies.”

Read this and the rest of this captivating story online. Our history tends to be white, male, and Eurocentric. Stories like this add a measure of balance but we have along ways to go. The story shows once again the importance of photography in illustrating history.

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the future is now …

Posted on February 12, 2024 by Robert

Tamron f/4 17-50mm zoom lens for a full frame Sony digital camera

Toronto. In years gone by, extreme wide angle lenses were very special. A lens was attached to a camera to capture a specific angle of view. In many cases, the lens was stopped down to avoid unintentional vignetting. Specialty wide angle lenses merited special usage instructions like holding the camera high in a corner of a room.

Around the 1950s, zoom lenses first came on market. Distortion, weight, slow speed, narrow focal length range, and a hefty price tag limited the potential retail market.

By late in the century, zoom lenses became practical. In fact as we entered the digital era, zoom lenses were the norm and so called ‘prime focal length’ lenses became pricy specialty items.

Today, Tamron has a 17mm to 50mm zoom lens that fits a ‘full frame’ Sony camera and is even offering one for free, Rita Godlevskis, editor of PhotoEd reminded us of Tamron’s  ‘give-a-way’ offer in her recent email.

I will mention once again that these lenses may well become sought after historical items in 50 to 100 years just like we lust after old brass lenses like the mid 1800s Pantoscope and its brethren. Remember, you heard about it in 2024 …

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quirky Canadian street photography

Posted on February 11, 2024 by Robert

Ian MacEachern by Linda Munn

Toronto. Photo collectors make astute choices for their collections. Some specialize by process; some by date; some by subject; some by region; etc. Others are quite eclectic in their choice. Some photos are taken by amateurs; some are family photos; and others are random shots by street photographers.

Ian MacEachern is one of those street photographers. Unlike many, some of his shots capture not just people, but street scenes at the ‘decisive moment’ as Cartier-Bresson once described such impactful photos.  A sample of his work appears in an article titled, “This new exhibit showcases six decades of quirky Canadian street photography” on Maclean’s web page. The article is by Alex Cyr,

This story and the link to the article is courtesy of my good friend, George Dunbar, who discovered it while searching for items of interest to our members and other readers of this site.

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Executive Meeting No 44 via ZOOM

Posted on February 10, 2024 by Robert

PHSC President Clint Hryhorijiw

Toronto. Hot for February these days – and here we are again meeting via ZOOM (for the 44th time)!

The latest PHSC newsletter by editor Katrin Faridani is due out this month. Any viewer who wishes a  personal copy but hasn’t yet joined the PHSC can drop me an email at news@phsc.ca to be added to our MailChimp list.

Membership Secretary Lilianne Schneider has been busy with the existing records.

Do you want to help as a volunteer  (at our meetings or events)? Then just say so in note here: info@phsc.ca. And I will see our president gets your message.

The journal is issued in pdf format only. If  you UNSUBSCRIBE  to our MailChimp list, you will not receive any journals or other info. Nor can we reinstate that email address for you as MailChimp blocks such addresses (a form, not yet on our site, could allow you to reactivate it). And if you change email addresses, please tell us as MailChimp flags such old addresses as CLEANED and cannot add your new address automatically.

*By the way, please note as of 2022, our membership year ends December 31st.** Also as of 2024 memberships are $35/$100 1 yr/3 yr Canadian regardless of the member location (one of the perks of pdf format for our journal).

The February Toronto meeting will be  a  “Show and Tell” via ZOOM on the 21st. Drop Clint a note at info@phsc.ca to get added to the list of presenters. To view/join the event, we will have a post on Eventbrite closer to the meeting date. Further details will be in a post on this site.

Co-editor David Bridge and partner Louise Freyburger are currently writing issue 49-4 of Photographic Canadiana.  This issue is scheduled for release around March, 2024. PS: Please renew or join now if you haven’t already. See the MEMBERSHIP menu above and/or our PayPal button at right.

We notify members via MailChimp as each new journal issue is released. If you are a member but HAVE NOT seen the notification since you registered/renewed, please email me at info@phsc.ca. Journal 49-3 was issued the end of last year.

And remember to bundle up  – next week is supposed to be a cold snap …

Executive meeting 44 via ZOOM

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perks and perils …

Posted on February 9, 2024 by Robert

Michael S. Hopkins,  husband, walks out onto a promontory on the coastal Mahaulepu Heritage Trail on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. – courtesy of Ms Freeman via the CS Monitor.

Toronto. I often think about the risks some photographers take to get ‘that shot’ but this article in the Feb 1, 2024 issue of the Christian Science Monitor by Michael S. Hopkins (contributor and writer) with photos by his wife, staff  photographer Melanie Stetson Freeman  in Kauai, Hawaii shows the dangers faced by a sometimes reluctant subject.

Many a photograph/reluctant subject can relate to Hopkins’ article. Set aside your wonderful collection of photos and read this short article about the ‘perks and perils’ of being married to a photographer …

And a big thank you goes off to good friend and PHSC member, George Dunbar, for offering this article he recently discovered while doing photo history research.

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a tale of a board

Posted on February 8, 2024 by Robert

Photographic pioneer Ernest Marriage courtesy of PCCGB in the February 2024 issue of Tailboard

Toronto. Over the years, the PHSC has exchanged journals and newsletters with like minded groups. These include the Tailboard issued by “The Photographic Collectors Club of Great Britain“.

Their latest issue of Tailboard (Feb 2024) is available in the  hard copy or electronic version to any member of this august body of enthusiasts.

Check out their website (above) for details.

 

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90 dollars, 90 dollars, do I hear 100?

Posted on February 7, 2024 by Robert

a studio camera in the fall 2015 auction nine years ago

Toronto, Ahhh, that time again! In a few short months it will be spring and auction time again. As details of our May 2024 auction unfold, we will add them to this site.

Meantime, snuggle up – cold weather is forecast! Hard to imagine since we are bereft of snow here in the city – noise, eternal work blockages, bicycle lanes, but no snow (and little parking).

This interesting old studio camera was auctioned nearly a decade ago. Be sure to pencil in our May auction date (May 5th) – you may find just what you need to augment your collection or user gear. Usually we have both film and digital stuff to be auctioned.

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a vicarious trip to France – today

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Robert

photograph – lot 122 Hôtel Drouot, Paris, France

Toronto. While you wait so patiently for our spring auction this coming May, why not visit an auction in Paris, France being held online until TODAY?

I received an email yesterday morning from Christophe Goeury about an auction of cameras and photographs at an auction house in France (see the auction lots here). The auction house is called Hôtel Drouot.

The current bid or starting price for each lot is published in Euros, but be aware that the lot sale price may exceed the current/starting price. This auction house also sells things besides photographic memorabilia.

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a bar walks into an archive …

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Robert

a small grocery store c1946 in Quebec. About a decade later bar codes began up here identifying each product.

Toronto. … well, you may know the story. If not, my good friend, George Dunbar, offers this wording from the LAC up in Gateaux, QC (once called Hull), “Library and Archives Canada (LAC) – 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the barcode! The first Canadian scan was at a grocery store in Dorval, Quebec in 1974.”. Dorval is a suburb of Montreal and home to its closest airport.

The photo here, also from the LAC, is a typical Quebec ‘corner’ grocery store back in 1946. Note the casual smoking in the store and the tobacco advertising. As a kid, I remember being sent to just such a store in a small Ontario town for groceries.

We consider the bar code common place today and regularly see the shop owner or cashier casually scan each item purchased. A computer ‘reads’ the scan and prints the appropriate product name and price. Gone are the days when the owner/cashier typed in the product  price to a cash register or wrote the details in a carbon paper receipt book.

Photographs are the basis for these work place events, now long past (at least in grocery chains and large stores). Every product has a unique bar code and a price as decided by the seller. Collectors of photos often value such work place photos either as part of a collection or the focus of one.

 

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PHSNE 2022 Journal

Posted on February 4, 2024 by Robert

PHS of NE Journal 2022 available in print and online

Toronto. One of our exchange organizations, The PHS of New England is celebrating 51 years this year. A 2022 issue of its annual “Journal” featuring Simon Wing and other “Photographers, Innovators, and Entrepreneurs for Nine Decades” is available in either hard copy or digital format.

Like many photo history organizations today, the PHSNE conducts relevant presentations via ZOOM. The latest event is today (Feb 4, 2024): “Curating 1 Million Photos at the Cape Ann Museum with speakers Trenton Carls & Maegan Squibb – Sunday, Feb 4, 2024, 7:30PM EST on Zoom”.

Feel free to join the PHSNE and see this and all meetings since October, 2020. A selection of older videos appear on Youtube.

 

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