Tag Archives: view camera

not just a pretty face …

Posted on May 18, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. Collectors usually prefer to acquire a pristine example of a particular camera model. That is not always the case. Member Ed Warner picked up an Eastman View No1 a couple of decades ago as a ‘basket case’. Ed used … Continue reading →

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cool!

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. When I saw this article sent to me by George Dunbar, it reminded me of two things: the movie shorts about  ‘Our Gang‘ and the Saturday Evening Post sketches by well known illustrator, Norman Rockwell. Anyone who studied optics … Continue reading →

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a wonderful view

Posted on July 31, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. Throughout the 1800s and into the early 1900s, the view camera was a popular camera design. Everyone knew a wooden box and bellows on a tripod meant a photographer was at work! The view camera was rather simple in … Continue reading →

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more than one way to skin a cat …

Posted on July 23, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. …. or ride a frisky horse. The May, 1939 article from Popular Mechanics shows how a stuffed horse could simulate a bucking broncho in a photo taken for the folks back home! Notice how the professional photographer uses a … Continue reading →

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nearly as scarce as hens’ teeth

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Have you ever seen an authentic wet-plate camera in fine condition? No? Brass lenses from the wet-plate period abound at fairs like ours, but few cameras exist and even fewer unrestored ones in top condition. And there is good … Continue reading →

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Glencoe, Glencoe, What Art Thou Glencoe?

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. With apologies to Bill Shakespeare. When Brian Hudson enquired about his Canadian Camera (& Optical) Company camera, he set off quite a storm which hasn’t settled yet. I had an Empire State camera a few years ago. I added … Continue reading →

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why the tripod?

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Did you ever wonder why so many old photos and drawings of cameras in use showed a tripod? Until the dry-plate era, the media were so insensitive that it took  seconds or minutes in bright light to record the … Continue reading →

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review of September talk on tintypes

Posted on October 15, 2018 by Robert

Toronto. Stephen Brule, a young Ryerson graduate practicing the ancient art of wet-plate photography, spoke to us in September. Stephen brought along a slide presentation plus his home made plate preparation and development desk, a massive studio style 4800 watt-second flash … Continue reading →

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Focussing Aids in the 1800s

Posted on May 27, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. Those of us who predate digital cameras and smartphones may recall a nifty little 8x magnifier, the Agfa Lupe. It was used to look at 35mm negatives and slides on a light table. Instead, you could use the 5x … Continue reading →

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