Tag Archives: projector

in the days before CAD

Posted on February 1, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Computer Aided Design (CAD) made huge changes in how products were manufactured.  Before CAD, photography stepped in to speed up aircraft production. This article from the February 1941 edition of Popular Mechanic explained how a giant camera and projector … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on in the days before CAD

anchors aweigh!

Posted on January 6, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Those were the heady days of home movies when people lugged out the heavy projector and its awkward screen. Today, we call such marvels ‘boat anchors’ – not much value to a camera collector, and only good if you … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , | Comments Off on anchors aweigh!

controlling the market

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. For decades Kodak controlled the film market by creating new film sizes and the cameras to use them. Heavy advertising prompted the ill informed public to buy the latest Kodak camera and use Kodak film.  An example is this … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on controlling the market

amping it up

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. When I was a school kid in grades 7 and 8 a few years after WW2, I was also an occasional  projectionist for junior classes. We showed 16mm educational movies on (to me) a massive Ampro 20 sound projector. … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on amping it up

photographica c1925

Posted on September 22, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. The magazine Science & Industry addressed the wide audience of tinkers and experimenters (mostly boys and youths) and as such it included a wide range of things. In this example article, a camera is shown, but unnamed. The take home … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on photographica c1925

take it and show it

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. One of the headaches facing the home movie crowd was the fact so many different gadgets were needed to take and show movies. One idea was to use just one instrument as both the camera, and with added illumination, … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on take it and show it

what’s in your wallet?

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Not to be out done by Airequipt, Argus posted a two page spread (pp 10, 11) in the November 30, 1962 issue of LIFE magazine offering 10,ooo free prizes in the “ARGUS HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY”. The offer was limited to … Continue reading →

Posted in magazine | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on what’s in your wallet?

and the winner is …

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Mid last century, companies worked hard to win a larger slice of the amateur photo market – especially in the USA, We saw where give-a-ways of non competing products for a few dollars and proof of purchase were used, … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on and the winner is …

leaping on the home movie bandwagon

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Mansfield Industries made special outfits of 8mm cameras and projectors ready for Christmas. Originally based in Ann Arbor, MI, the headquarters moved to Chicago. This page 88 ad in the November 24, 1961 issue of LIFE  magazine suggests that … Continue reading →

Posted in camera | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on leaping on the home movie bandwagon

we all scream for a free screen …

Posted on January 25, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. … to paraphrase a kid’s chant from over a half century ago. In the 1960s every manufacturer of photo gear wanted a slice of the amateur photography pie – the bigger the better. By 1960, every factory aped its … Continue reading →

Posted in camera | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on we all scream for a free screen …