One day last week, Sue's daily photo prompt required her using an old camera in a photo. I have older cameras, but they don't look old since they are all of the SLR style. It's too bad that I hadn't kept my earlier cameras, but how was I to know when I was young that I would feel nostalgic about them now.
In the absence of a suitable camera, she did the next best thing and made a collage of old family photos. Starting top left we see her mother and her twin brother That's her grandmother, top right. In the middle we see her mother's school class. Bottom right is her grandmother's class. Finally, at bottom left is a tintype photo that we think might be her great grandmother.
Tintype photographs were first made in the 1850s and remained in use from the 1860s through the early 20th century.A tintype, also known as a melanotype or ferrotype, is a photograph made by creating a direct positive on a thin sheet of metal, colloquially called 'tin' (though not actually tin-coated)
She made the collage early in the day, but when she showed me her work, I knew that I could help her fulfill the project requirement even more. You see, my friend, Bob, is a collector, both by nature and by practice. For example: his CD collection is vast. I knew that he also has a vintage camera collection, so I invited myself over to borrow a few, and I took three back to Sue who then took this photo. Cool, eh?
The camera on the left, the Target Brownie Six-20 being also my mother's camera and, therefore, the first camera that I ever used, Sue decided to photograph it on its own along with empty film cannisters.
Very cool old photos of family and classes taught by Sue's mother and grandmother. I love the attitude of the man in lower left shot...the way many of us felt at being asked to pose for a photo! The old cameras are great, as well as memories of using my own old ones. I've kept just one old camera, the Keystone 8 mm movie camera.
ReplyDeleteI think they were students IN those classes. Not that it matters much to anyone but Sue and family.
DeleteI have a number of old cameras like the ones pictured above. Many years ago I would pick them up at estate auctions because I just like the mechanisms that were needed to operate them and nobody else would bid against me for them, But I probably haven’t seen one for a couple decades now so they must all be in the hands of people like myself and Bob.
ReplyDeleteThat's a clever way to approach the project. I have a couple of old cameras. They had such great shapes.
ReplyDeleteI also have an old camera that had belonged to my great grandmother. I really like these photos.
ReplyDeleteFascinating project. Old family photographs are precious because they are relatively rare. The old cameras are wonderful. What a long way they have come.
ReplyDeleteVery cool pictures. The family pictures set around the sepia toned photo of the old cameras would make an exception collage.
ReplyDelete*excellent
DeleteCool cameras....the film cannisters look like 35mm. The accordion-looking once is interesting, any other info on it?
ReplyDeleteI once had several 35mm cameras, in the late 60's. I even toyed with the idea of trying to make a living in photography, lol. I had a couple Nikon's....a Photomic TN, a Nikkormat, a couple Mamiya's, etc. Also some large format....a Mamiya C33, and one other, forget the name. I took even some 90mm slides...never did find a viewer/projector for large format slides. Oh, now I remember the name of the other one, a Minolta Autocord.
You had some serious equipment.
DeleteThis is a fabulous post. I have some tin types of my family. I would love it if you shared this post on my Sunday in the Art Room. Have a nice day today.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, I had a collection of old film camera and several were similar to the ones in Sue's cleverly posed photos. I also enjoyed the vintage family photos. I did have one remaining vintage camera, my father's Kodak Tourister which was donated to the local historical society to be included in their museum collection.
ReplyDeleteTimes have sure changed. I like Sue's results.
ReplyDeleteFilm cannisters used to be metal, aluminum I think. The caps were too and screwed onto the can. I am old. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteThat is a fascinating prompt! I bet not many people have access to old cameras. I have one and it is in working condition, but i can't find film for it.
ReplyDeleteFantastic photos! I really enjoyed this journey back in time! Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThere is a man selling old cameras near us. Just more clutter for me!
ReplyDeleteI love vintage photos. Those cameras are so cool.
ReplyDeleteThis post was fun like a visit to a cool museum. Thank you friend
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool with the cameras! My dad built and photographed with a pinhole camera and also had a Brownie camera. Somewhere I have a shot of him getting ready to use it.
ReplyDeleteVery nice work!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great project! It's so meaningful to have those old photos. Love the cameras. My husband had a bunch of them, but I gave them away. Now I wish I hadn't.
ReplyDeleteI loved the old photos and liked each set up. Great job!
ReplyDeleteWe have one oldie, an Exacta SLR. It had a separate light finder that came with it, an expensive tool of a cousin of JG's that we were given. Oh dear, somewhere I have a print of me, age about 8, taking a photo with a Brownie. In my Brownie uniform. Wish I could have found it for Sue.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful old cameras. Nicely recorded.
I'm amazed that my mother's zen priest father had a camera in the 1920s and took quite a lot of photos back then.
ReplyDelete