Tag Archives: Sylvania

flash for cash

Posted on January 8, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. Post war there was a pent-up demand for commercial products. Cars were in short supply; telephones had a wait list while new cables were added; and many other goods were similarly in short supply. New ideas popped up everywhere … Continue reading →

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taking a bigger slice of the pie

Posted on February 23, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Post war, every company in the photographic  industry worked hard to gain a bigger market share. Kodak, as shown by this LIFE ad from the May 7, 1971 issue (p 65), grouped all the hot button ideas into one … Continue reading →

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Winterize your camera? How quaint!

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Smartphones have become the most common cameras today according to some social media outlets. Owners have no need to “winterize” or even repair their smartphones. Usually the battery wears out but long before that the current model becomes obsolete … Continue reading →

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film savings nearly 60 years ago

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. My good friend George Dunbar is a fabulous source of suggestions and inspirations as he pursues photographic history as reflected in magazine advertisements last century. Today’s item stems from George’s email a few days back showing a collaboration between … Continue reading →

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bye bye flashbulb guy

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. The 1960s were pretty much the last decade for flashbulbs. They weren’t killed by fast Polaroid film as the Polaroid ad implies, but by cheap electronic flash. The electronic flash was pricier up front, but in use, it was … Continue reading →

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light and bright

Posted on October 4, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. What could those 8mm movie fanatics really, really want in a projector? Tiny? Compact? Light? Room filling? Bright? All of this and more? According to this September 15, 1958 ad in LIFE, Argus created all these things. Through engineering, … Continue reading →

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making a difference

Posted on September 16, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. In the mid 1930s, the minicam revolution sparked the rush to miniaturization in photography. Post war, amateur photography’s fresh ideas were indoor photos and colour photos. Indoor photos made flash guns and flash bulbs big sellers. Companies like Sylvania marketed … Continue reading →

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turning night into day

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. Americans like to go BIG! In 1954, a famous Pennsylvanian railway loop called the Horseshoe Curve celebrated its centenary with an amazing night time photograph using 6,000 flash bulbs donated by Sylvania. The bulbs were connected by some 31 … Continue reading →

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flash before electronic

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. George Dunbar sent me another bunch of ads the other day. This one from the December, 1951 issue of Popular Photography brings back memories. I was in grade nine high school and for Christmas I was given a new … Continue reading →

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