Tag Archives: film

the importance of being fixed

Posted on November 25, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. By 1802, the sensitivity of silver halides to light was known in scientific circles. Thomas Wedgwood managed to make ‘photograms‘ – silhouettes on leather but could not make the photograms permanent. The delicate images – even kept in darkness … Continue reading →

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disappearing heirlooms

Posted on November 24, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. We have all seen Victorian Photo Albums chock full of CDVs etc. at fairs, auctions, and sometimes used goods stores. The albums came along around the mid 1800s when cheap CDVs became available and a place to store and … Continue reading →

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celebrity endorsements

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. In the early days of minicams, makers used explorers and others who demanded perfection under extreme conditions. Post war. celebrities became popular in ads as if they used the cameras shown. Naive folk seeing the ad might choose a … Continue reading →

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before TV; before video;

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Robert

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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days of war surplus photo supplies and gear

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Some of us may remember the days when the local war surplus store had stocks of photo paper, film, chemicals, equipment, etc. at big discounts since the cost was already paid once by tax dollars. This November, 1947 American … Continue reading →

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win some … lose some …

Posted on November 12, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Did you ever think about technological trade-offs? Overtime better ways to manufacture; better quality; lower cost; broader acceptance; etc. all worked together to wring out lower cost and better quality to the consumer. Just consider photography. In the early … Continue reading →

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shooting star

Posted on November 9, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. This May, 1947 ad from Popular Mechanics touted the Meteor – a cheap 620 camera designed like a 35mm camera – as ideal for “photo-eager folk who want to start on the streamlined path to a great photo-future”. The maker … Continue reading →

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first step to a finer picture …

Posted on November 1, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. And you thought it was the photographer and his skill (or according to some naive people, the camera). But the FILM? Or the maker of the FILM? REALLY? In a May, 1946 ad, Kodak assured all the wanna-be photographers … Continue reading →

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lunch anyone?

Posted on October 30, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Our secretary, Louise Freyburger, was browsing the news Friday when she came across an article on CTV News about old cameras discovered recently  in a Yukon glacier in the KLUANE NATIONAL PARK AND RESERVE.  A cache of equipment belonging to … Continue reading →

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trey trays

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. In the glory days of film photography anyone in the know would have or have the use of a darkroom to develop black and white prints. Common to almost all darkrooms was a trio of trays. The first held … Continue reading →

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