Tag Archives: American

just another ad for the Beacon II

Toronto. George Dunbar came across this ad in Popular Mechanics for July 1948 and shared it with us. I did a couple of posts on this typical box camera and its predecessor (both dressed up to look like the popular … Continue reading

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before TV; before video;

Toronto. … we had home movies. Originally 16mm, during the depression Kodak began selling 8mm versions and post war in a scramble to expand market size and improve image quality, Kodak moved to ‘Super 8’. In the late 1930s, Kodachrome … Continue reading

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a beacon in the dark

Toronto. Another American company, Whitehouse Products, in Brooklyn took a shot at the American photography market with its cheap plastic camera, the Beacon. The Beacon was simply a box camera tarted up like a minicam. It retailed for about 8 … Continue reading

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pirates of New York City

Toronto. Univex (Universal Camera Corp) advertised its Buccaneer 35mm camera in November, 1947, a few years before declaring bankruptcy. Known for their unusual camera designs, the company was said to be ethically challenged. The body of the Buccaneer shown in this … Continue reading

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the last movie

Toronto.  The digital era brought with it amazing television, incredible cameras, smartphones with a multitude of devices built-in, digital movies sent by internet or satellite, and much, much, more. It also hastened the demise of antiquated infrastructure such as old … Continue reading

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how to fail without really trying …

Toronto. “What the heck is a photon, anyway?”, you may ask. Actually, it is a measure of light. In 1948, Bell & Howell misspelt the word to create a unique name for its still camera, as is often the case … Continue reading

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do you remember Marilyn?

Toronto. Do you remember my post just over three years ago on April 15, 2018 in those pre-COVID days?  Well, our friends at GadCOLLECTION over in Paris are hosting another Kirkland exhibition this fall from September 3rd to October 10th (2021). … Continue reading

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if at first you don’t succeed …

Toronto. … try and try again! And that is what Spartus did. A new name?A new town? A new camera style? The company began around 1934 in NYC as the Utility Manufacturing Company. It moved to Chicago in the 1940s … Continue reading

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was ist das?

Toronto. Post WW2, umpteen American companies tried to hop on the American made camera bandwagon. One was the Vokar line made in Dexter, Michigan. The design was said to have originated pre war from the mind of Dick Bills. Mike … Continue reading

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Leica in Peace and War

Toronto. Before and for awhile after the second world war, the Leica was the most popular high-end 35mm camera sold. As many readers know, before WW2, the German camera industry was the undisputed world leader. During WW2, German technology was … Continue reading

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