Tag Archives: box camera

triple tengor tango

Posted on July 7, 2024 by Robert

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 … Continue reading →

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and a sida camera with that, please

Posted on May 19, 2024 by Robert

Toronto.  In the late 1930s, the ‘minicam’ revolution was well under way. The craze centred on cameras using 35mm ‘movie film’ or similar  sized paper backed roll film. An enlarger was a ‘must’ for even pocket sized prints. A small … Continue reading →

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you’re stringing me on …

Posted on May 13, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. … a comment that may have entered the mind of an 1888 photographer seeing Eastman’s ad for his new camera. Before the Kodak was offered, cameras were mainly large, heavy devices that took only a few shots at most. … Continue reading →

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when Kodak was King

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. For much of the 20th century, Kodak and photography were synonymous. By the mid 20th century Kodak was among the biggest – if not the biggest – in the industry, world-wide. Home base was Kodak Park in Rochester. George … Continue reading →

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snapshots and history

Posted on May 30, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Snapshots are photographs usually taken by amateurs, often by the only person in the family who routinely records events and family members. Without such photographs, we may not remember how family members looked as they grew. If not captured, … Continue reading →

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cheap shot

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Sometimes when you can’t offer better specs, you can suggest the offering has many pieces. I fell for this gambit as a kid. I bought a “computer” from NYC which was touted as having 100s of parts. Turned out … Continue reading →

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boxing it up

Posted on December 26, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. The first half of the last century, most families used the humble box camera, and my grandmother was no different. The photographer in her small family, she recorded family members, friends, and neighbours over the years, the majority snapped … Continue reading →

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International Radio Corporation

Posted on December 18, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. In the 1930s, a small company in Ann Arbor, Michigan began manufacture of the latest, greatest thing – home radios. Their fresh egg was using Bakelite plastic for cabinets instead of expensive wood or metal cabinets. Their less expensive … Continue reading →

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sprocket rocket

Posted on August 16, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. A century ago the panorama print was popular. Cameras like the Cirkut models could turn about the lens nodal point while affixed to a tripod by using gears and a spring wound motor. This format is common place today. … Continue reading →

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a beacon in the night …

Posted on July 1, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. Happy Canada Day, everyone! As I mentioned in an earlier post, the 1950s saw a burst of inspiration in selling flash guns to the general public as a means to counter the rather anemic speed of the films of … Continue reading →

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