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The PHSC E-MAIL Volume 6-8, Supplement to Photographic Canadiana, December 2006 the Photographic Historical Society of Canada

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The PHSC E-MAIL Volume 6-8, Supplement to Photographic Canadiana, December 2006 the Photographic Historical Society of Canada 1 of 9 PAGES The PHSC E-MAIL Volume 6-8, Supplement to Photographic Canadiana, December 2006 The Photographic Historical Society of Canada LATEST NEWS…… WITH THE HOLIDAY SEASON UPON US, The PHSC Annual Auction will be held on March 11th, 2007 at a WE EXTEND TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY new and much larger location. Ed Warner, in charge of the auction, BEST WISHES FROM THE says that the facilities provide lots of free parking. So look for details in PHSC EXECUTIVE & OFFICERS our next PHSC E-Mail newsletter. Wednesday, December 20th Meeting… There is a story behind of every piece of photographica – some are PHSC Monthly Meetings better than others. Our December meeting will bring out many curious items as are held on the third Wednesday from members stand to SHOW & TELL about their favourite pieces. Please bring September to June in the Gold Room, of Memorial Hall in the basement of along something from your own collection to stump the experts as to why it is so the North York Central Library, important, rare or unique – OR to have something identified. 5120 Yonge St., North York, Ontario. The meeting officially begins at 8:00 p.m. but is preceded by a Buy & Sell and social gathering from 7:00 p.m. onwards. For information contact the PHSC or Felix Russo, 33 Indian Rd. Cres., Toronto, ON, M6P 2E9, Phone (416) 532-7780. Programming Schedule: December 20th, 2006 -the favourite Annual Show & Tell Nite plus the Christmas Gift Exchange. January 17th, 2007 -Larry O’Grady of the Toronto Police Services will describe the depart- Meeting is held in the Gold Room, (basement) ment’s change to digital photography. North York Central Library, 5120 Yonge St. TTC subway drop-off at the door. February 21st, 2007 -Robert Burley of Ryerson U. explains Masters program in photo preservation. REMEMBER TO BRING A WRAPPED GIFT March 11th, 2007 (Sunday) FOR THE CHRISTMAS GIFT EXCHANGE -PHSC Annual Auction – new venue. Bring a wrapped Christmas gift in order to participate in our Christmas March 21st, 2007 Gift Exchange. To receive a gift you MUST contribute a gift for this friendly -Wayne Morgan will give the history exchange. Make it a photographic item in nature and to a value of about $15. and inside story of the Kodak Brownie. May 27th, 2007 WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS -PHSC Spring Fair at Soccer Centre Ideas for monthly programs Membership Secretary, Wayne Gilbert welcomes the following new mem- Suggest speakers, topics and inter- bers: From Ontario come Bill Waters of Mississauga, Stella and Raul esting locations. Contact Program Abraham of Ancaster, Victor Wong of Toronto, Roly Harman of Chair Felix Russo at (416) 532- Bracebridge, Gina Proctor of Peterborough, Greg Pichnej of Newcastle, 7780 or e-mail [email protected]. Barb Mitchell of Toronto while Milenko Grgar hails from Surrey, British FOR PROGRAM UPDATES Columbia and Harvey Elbe is from Duncan, B.C. www.phsc.ca Recent renewed members are: Raymond Pereira of Markham, John Bock of Bolton, Gary Alderson of Toronto, David Mattison of Victoria, BC, our new E-mail address is Tom Rall of Arlington, Virginia, USA, The Art Gallery of Ontario of Toronto, [email protected] The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa and The Glenbow Museum in Robert A. Carter – Webmaster Calgary, Alberta. Welcome everyone to our group. THE PHSC E-MAIL 1 VOL 6-8 DECEMBER 2006 October Meeting read the complete review on our PHSC web site at WWW.PHSC.CA Before permanent photography arrived, miniaturists painted por- Toronto Notes traits, and silhouette studios were fashionable. The silhouette became Reported by Robert Carter popular after the introduction of point source lights - candles - which cre- ate sharp shadows that cap- Past-president Les Jones ture a person's likeness. The began his lifelong interest in combination of photography photography at a tender age and a shift to soft overhead using his aunt's box Brownie. lighting brought an end to the He graduated to 35mm with silhouette studios. Many his father's gift of a miniaturist painters went to Voigtlander Vito-B, later the daguerreotype studios moved up to a Pentax then and applied their talent to on to the Nikons that he uses colouring the silver images. today for his rugby and soc- cer photography. New processes often used the accessories of the An eclectic interest in old. The delicate daguerreo- sports led him some years type plates were mounted ago to hot air ballooning under glass in the miniatures which he recorded on cases of the day until these Kodachrome and Fuji slides. fragile leather and wood con- There was some fading and structions were replaced by colour shift visible in the the sturdy thermoplastic quarter century old images, Union cases. When but the now obsolete media Ambrotypes came along, the provided the audience with a photographers mounted peek at the world of hot air them in the Union cases in ballooning. Les augmented spite of their thicker glass. his short slide show with a very detailed description of The wet plate, successor the intricacies and dangers of to the daguerreotype as well hot air ballooning. His part- as the cheaper variant, the ner, Judy Rauliuk, at one Melainotype/Ferrotype PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT LANSDALE time crewed hot air balloon (Tintype in North America) competitions. lowered costs thus opening photography to a wider audi- Given the general knowl- ence of both takers and sub- edge of this evening's audi- jects. It introduced paper ence, Les focussed his talk prints created from a glass on some of the myths of pop- negative (the negative-posi- ular photographic history as tive concept was first highlighted below. described by Fox Talbot) and The date of the invention LES JONES ushered in the era of cheap of photography is usually given to be The camera lucida and especially mass produced images. This in turn January 1839 when the daguerreo- the camera obscura, both used by supported a market in celebrity pho- type invention was officially artists, were the ancestors of the film tos and albums. For example, in announced to the world. Daguerre's camera. The camera obscura has 1861, when Prince Albert died, partner Niepce made a daguerreo- survived to this day as an amusement 70,000 copies of his photograph were type image in 1824 but it only lasted at some seaside resorts where the sold in one week. In Victorian times a few minutes as the method of fixing room-size devices provide a silent but many homes boasted a photograph had yet to be discovered. Les went moving view of the tourists and sur- album and visitors were encouraged on to introduce the work of Fox roundings. A smaller version with a to add an image of their own to the Talbot, whose success preceded ground glass screen was favoured by collection. Daguerre's by a few years, as well as Vermeer to capture the signature Les touched on some byways of even earlier efforts which, like the lighting effect seen in his paintings. photography such as the American 1824 image, lacked a viable means Versions of this device were sold to civil war era tax stamps on images. to arrest the light sensitivity after an budding artists into the 1900s (see Other luxury items had tax stamps, image formed. our E-Mail Newsletter Vol 4-11). but each stamp was destroyed when THE PHSC E-MAIL 2 VOL 6-8 DECEMBER 2006 opening the package. The revenue stamp remained intact on images and instead was marked or initialled by the photographer as a means of cancellation. Cabinet cards, elabo- rate designs and ads on the back of cards, Stanhopes, and stereo all received comment. In spite of the speed and sharp- ness of the wet plate process - as little as 20 minutes to make, take, and develop a wet plate negative - the huge investment in the camera and lens, darkroom apparatus and chemi- cals, and the necessary training limited Bob Gutteridge with the first Past Pres. Michael Oesch and a Brian Morris of Salmon Arm, BC this process mainly to the profession- Kodak Brownie Model B, c1900. special pet rabbit named “Jazz.” dropped by to see old friends. als. The 1860s introduction of fast dry plates continued the simplification of Bay Street. The studios were usually in 1887. Its first exhibit attracted the photographic process. Dry plates on the top floors taking advantage of some 1,000 photographs. By 1888 date back almost to the daguerreo- daylight for studio lighting. Even the club's emphasis was on the ama- type, but the emulsion was far too Toronto Island had a studio in the teur. Initially, members were well to insensitive for exposure in a camera. late 1800s. Many of the practitioners do business men with leisure time. seemed to find the trade insufficient The TCC grew quickly, attracting lay- The 1880s saw the introduction of to pay the mortgage - records men to its ranks, but it remained prin- George Eastman's roll film and his abound showing studios with side cipally a male-only organization until famous Kodak camera. This combina- lines like selling boots and shoes. post World War Two. tion of the first practical hand held And in one case Les discovered a camera with darkroom work done by Amongst the visitors this evening photographer who also offered den- were past-president - Michael Oesch Eastman opened up photography to a tistry! huge population of unskilled amateurs. - noted for his coast to coast walks, The three-quarter hour history and long time member and sub- Les touched on local history wrapped up with mention of miniature camera enthusiast Brian mentioning the studios in Toronto Canada's oldest camera club - one Morris who retired to Salmon Arm along King, Yonge and Queen with of the first in North America.
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