Photographic Archaeology

We've been watching a lot of Treasure Quest lately. This show hits on a lot of things I love: history, underwater photography, techie gadgets, archaeology, boats, and diving! Holy yes!

It's a fascinating show. These guys are the group that found the Titanic, and they operate a fleet of ships equipped with sea rovers that comb the ocean floor looking for shipwrecks. Operating cost per day on one of these rigs is upwards of $35,000 USD.

They use sonar to map the ocean floor and then dive on any sites that appear to be a ship or sub. Once down, the rover picks around looking for anything that can help to identify the identity of a downed ship: imprints on cannon, shoes, gun turrets, paddle wheels, burnt timber, etc. Most of the time they don't even have to bring the object to the surface to identify it, as the rover is equipped with lights and hi-res cameras.

Add in the cocky Scottish archaeologist, the team of brilliant brother engineers (one of whom their captain claims is a cyborg created by the other), the tough ex-submariner (who looks like a Hell's Angel of the Sea), various guests, bad weather, malfunctioning technology, and harassment by countries whose waters they're close to, and you've got HIGH SEAS DRAMA!

It brings up an interesting topic though. Photography is used for forensics, archaeology and entertainment so extensively we tend to take it for granted. Without cameras, how would we document a person's life from babyhood through to old age, watch our favorite movie or TV show, solve a crime, see the far reaches of outer space, document history, etc etc?

I guess there would be a lot less starving artists. ;D

So do your part! Get a nice vintage camera from The Collector Detector and start contributing!

Spirit Photography at Flickr Commons

I've been on Flickr for a few years now (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dawnanthony), and being the vintage-obsessed geek and history buff that I am, I was fascinated when Flick introduced The Commons, which aims to be the central repository for the world's public photography archives.

I have spent hours looking at things like medical illustrations from the 1800s, past presidential inauguration pictures, nature photos, etc, but one set has really caught my interest: Spirit Photography.

First used by William Mumler in the 1860s, Spirit Photography is a type of photography whose primary attempt is to capture images of spiritual entities. Mumler is the guy who took the famous picture of Mary Todd Lincoln with the ghost of her husband Abraham.

The National Media Museum has put up a bunch of spirit photographs in the Flickr Commons, and I can't stop looking through them. Take a gander if you've got a minute, it's an incredibly interesting look at one of the first photo faking scams.

And when you're finished, come on over to The Collector Detector and buy an old vintage camera and make your own spirit photos!

Whistle While You Work...

One of the most important parts of selling vintage cameras is the restoration and cleaning of every camera that comes in the door. I have gotten pretty darn good at making a dirty camera shine up nice. I can handle dust and dirt with wicked aplomb, but there are a few things that people do to their cameras that really chap my hide.

And now, without further ado, the list of things that make me mad!

STICKERS. I cannot even express how much a sticker can reduce the value of a camera. And people put stickers on cameras for the weirdest reasons! I've seen stickers next to the shutter release that say, "1. Press Here", stickers below the wind knob that say "Wind" (!!!), stickers of the Spice Girls, decals of Nascar, and even Jesus stickers!

TAPE. Oh my god, tape. I have seen tape attaching manuals to the bottoms of cameras, tape keeping detailed instructions on exposure to the back of cameras, tape covering film windows and viewfinders, tape holding leatherette down, and tape wound around hand grips. Enough with the tape, people! Please! STOP TAPING THINGS.

ETCHING. Do you know that people used to etch their social security number on their belongings? I find this so strange in this day of identity theft. But I have run across numerous cameras with social security numbers. I've seen people's names of course, but I've also seen phone numbers, addresses, and post office boxes. And one camera named Betty.

PERMANENT MARKER. Ugh. This is so hard to remove. Especially when it's on leatherette. I have gone through countless replacement heads on my spinning toothbrush. I mean my extra special professional camera cleaning revolving brush tool. (Honest!)

GREASE PEN. This is an issue often found at auction houses. They mistakenly assume that grease pen is easily removable from most camera surfaces. This is not the case, especially when you are dealing with Bakelite or plastic, which can retain the color of the grease pen and can be incredibly difficult or impossible to remove. Auction houses, if you're reading this, Cease and Desist!! Puh-lease!

And lastly, ah, the pleasure of getting a camera with corrosion. Funnily enough, the worst part about corrosion in a camera for me is the smell! It's like old feet and rotten eggs mixed together! Eww!! Take the batteries out of your cameras when you store them people! For the love of all that is good and holy!

Now I know that most of these people thought they'd have their camera forever, and that I shouldn't complain about these problems on a used item, but, well, I just had to vent somewhere. Lucky youse guys. (My apologies for the Chicago accent slipping in)

Know what might make you (and me) feel better? A sparkly clean vintage camera!!

Nothing to do with cameras...

Growing up in Chicago, you cannot ignore the plight of homeless people. My father was a Chicago policeman, and was very involved in helping the needy when I was a kid. He used to take me with him to his part-time jobs helping out. I'd play on the office equipment and get to meet all kinds of different people, including the homeless. I used to wonder why my mother hated them so much - they seemed really nice to me.

In my early twenties, I lived on the South Side near Midway airport and worked downtown. Every day I would take Cicero to I55, which is a popular spot for panhandlers. I was always afraid to donate anything because my father had taught me as a young girl to be cautious underneath highway overpasses, but I couldn't help but notice the signs of the homeless people. Heartbreaking. I instead donated to Streetwise, a newspaper that pays homeless people to hand out papers. To this day that underpass is still overcrowded with the homeless.

I worked in Lincoln Park for a while, and there was a homeless couple who lived in the parking garage where the employees parked our cars. My co-worker and I would bring them lunch every day. Then they abruptly disappeared. I never found out what happened to them.

I also worked in the Loop in downtown Chicago for many years, where there are homeless people on pretty much every corner. You start to wonder how you can actually help anybody, there are so many. I gave my lunch away many times, but does that actually do anything? I don't have a lot of money, how can my little bit help?

Well these guys have found a way. I read about Tim this morning, and I am so happy that somebody has actually found a new way to bring attention to the plight of the homeless.

Let's use the interwebs for good, people! Donate!

Antique Folding Cameras - Way More Affordable Than You Think!

Have you ever wanted to own a real antique camera, but were convinced you couldn't afford it? Well believe me, you can. It doesn't matter if you are looking for a unique addition to your decor, or actually want to run some film through it, there are plenty of them around for way less than you think.

Various manufacturers, like Kodak and Ansco, produced large amounts of box and folding cameras in the early 1900's, and there are still plenty of them around today. They were made in a variety of colors and sizes for all different types of film. Box cameras in good working condition start around $20 USD, and folding cameras usually start at around $30.

Some things to look for when shopping around:

• Check out the condition of the bellows - do they look supple and free from holes? Cracking and stiffness are the most common problems with folding cameras. Also, open the back of the camera and hold it up to the light so you can check for holes. Folding cameras are prone to tiny pinholes in the corners of the bellows.
  
• Is the lens clear and free of scratches? A common problem with older cameras is fog or fungus, both of which are difficult to remove from an old lens.
• Do all the knobs and dials move freely and without obstruction? Every time I forget to check this, I end up with a film spool knob that doesn't work, or an aperture ring that's frozen stiff.
• Is the camera easy to open and close? Does it close tightly, and do the seams fit together properly?
• Inspect the finish of the camera - is it smooth and free of defects? If it's a Bakelite camera, look closely at the corners and edges. Bakelite cameras are prone to melt marks, which are hard to detect unless examined closely. If the camera is covered in leather or leatherette, make sure it lies flat and that there is no lift.
  
• When checking the shutter, make sure you open the back of the camera and watch from the back, since it's hard to see the shutter firing through the lens of most cameras. Check the shutter at all speeds, as it is very common for older cameras to work fine at faster speeds, but to lose accuracy at the lower shutter speeds.
• Buy a camera that's been checked thoroughly by a reputable dealer, like The Collector Detector!
  
  

We built this city...

With bricks by Argus.

Argus is an American company that has been making cameras since the 1930s. The C3 was their most popular camera, and it was one of the top selling 35mm cameras in history.

And these things still sell like crazy! Every one I get in flies right back out the door.

Looking at it, you wouldn't think it would be so popular. It's a particularly ungraceful camera - pretty much just a big rectangle with a lens attached to it, and it is incredibly heavy. Most people call it "The Brick", which I can vouch for, since I accidentally dropped one on my foot last week. Ouch!

All kidding aside though, it's a great beginner's camera, vintage or not. It's not too complicated, it is durable and solid, and usually reasonably priced ($39-69) in good working condition.

The first time I laid eyes on one about 20 years ago, I immediately liked it. The silky feel of the Bakelite housing, all the complicated looking silver gears and knobs, and the heavy, bulky feel of it thrilled me. Even the custom-fit leather case with the padded sides and blue velvet lining appealed to me.

Thankfully, I am not alone in my fascination with the C3 and its fellows. There are Argus collector clubs all over the world devoted to this monster, and the other vintage Argus models.

Have I made you want one yet? Go For It!

SX-70 - The Skins Are Almost In.

I've run across a lot of Polaroid SX-70 Cameras that are working well, but have badly deteriorating Porvair skins. Like this Model 2:
This isn't as bad as some I have seen, but it's enough to turn most people off of a camera that otherwise would be highly coveted.

So I started doing some research on replacing the skins. I've only found two places that currently make the skins, but the colors and styles they offer are very limited. Now, if you are going through all the trouble of replacing the skin on your beloved 1970s camera, wouldn't you appreciate some alternate options?

Yeah, me too. So I found a local place to do a mock-up of a few designs for me. We'll see how it goes. If they're not ridiculously expensive I'll put a few up for sale in our store at The Collector Detector and see if other people are interested as well.

I wonder if a My Pretty Pony pattern would sell?

Ah Polaroid, I love your naming conventions.

Somebody over at Polaroid was a comedian. I am consistently amused and titillated by the names of Polaroid cameras.

A few of my favorites:
The Button, because it's cute as a Button, of course. Duh.
The Amigo because it's a camera! It's flesh colored! It's your friend! Not creepy at all!
Oh look! It's the Electric Zip! I hope I don't get a shock when I press the shutter! Zing!
(a. yes I am a dork, and 2. why do my fingers keep trying to type shitter instead of shutter?)
The Big Swinger. Ahem. Hmm. This was in the 70s, and there is a couple using their Big Swingers on the manual cover. I'll let you make your own assumptions.
The Cool Cam! It's cool! Hence, you will be cool if you buy this camera! Didn't anybody ever tell Mr. Edwin Land that if you have to tell people that you're cool it's kind of a self-canceling thing? In spite of all this, he was cool, and it is a cool camera. Dang.
The Big Shot. I have nothing bad to say here. This camera was SO GIGANTIC, I went from feeling like a total nerd using it to feeling like King of the World. It totally works. Plus Andy Warhol loved this camera. Done, and done!
The Square Shooter. Was this camera only for taking pictures of my friends? HAHAHAHA. Ha.
The Time-Zero. Interesting. I either want to go Orwellian (see George Orwell's 1984) with this one, or Reznorian (See Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero).
Or, it's the end of the world.
Or, hurry up go get one now before time is out!
I'm in a quandary. So I'll move on.
The Super Clincher. This one kills me. Why does it remind me of a certain posterior anatomical orifice? That can't have been what they were going for. Am I the only one? Is it a deal breaker? Or a "Clincher"! Wait, I get it!
No I don't.
And fittingly, I'll end here.

(Git you one at The Collector Detector)