1900, or the more things change.....

[lushd]

Jan - I can confirm that I have been in Kew Gardens in posession of a film camera and spent many an unmolested afternoon snapping endless pointless images.

 

[shadowfox]

Ecclesiastes 1:9 comes to mind 🙂

 

[oftheherd]

“in no uncertain terms our disapproval of the essentially unengish methods of the Kodak Company, so closely allied to the terrible condition of commercial immorality which has an existence in America”

Nice to know we have improved on this side of the pond at any rate. 😀


Kodak are forcing rivals out of business, ceasing production of valued products and deliberately limiting the range of available materials. Photographers are urged to support the new, smaller independent producers.

What's that about what goes around comes around?

 

[Morca007]

I cannot help but have a bemused grin on my face the whole way through. Thank you for sharing this.

 

[rbiemer]

...the cheapening of the apparatus and finally the vast catastrophe of film...

Ian,
I missed this when you posted it, but after reading it and getting over the deja vu, I swiped the snippet above for my sig. I bet the original author would've died of an apoplectic fit he'd he seen cell phone cameras!
I liked reading it but disagree with that author's contention that popularization wrecked photography, but then I've been known to act above my station so I'm a bit suspect any way...😀
Thanks for this and the others you've shared with us! Much enjoyed.
Rob

 

[Jocko]

Thank you Rob, and thank you everyone! Internet troubles, now working out, have kept me off-forum for weeks, but it's good to know I've still been raising a laugh 🙂 Two more things from 1901 - those new, niche film producers are beginning to do well, now Kodak has lost interest -

"last week we mentioned the annual report of the Britannia Works Company, and we commented on the prosperity of the business, as evidenced by the report, but we did not mention a proposed change, which is of some economic importance: the shortening of the name to "Ilford Limited" "🙂

And this -

"Several old suggestions as to applications of photography are now circulating in the newspapers, one suggestion being that policemen should be furnished with a special camera which can serve to identify and measure the speed of racing cyclists and others who ride after the fashion of the son of Nimshi. Another suggestion is that a bee post be organised on the lines of M. Dagron's pigeon post, a film micrograph being cemented to the back of the insect. Neither of these suggestions looks very practical."

We have the speed camera - I can't wait for the bee post 🙂

Cheers, Ian

 

[Ducky]

The snapshotting of women in bathing dress,

Now we have short-shorts, halter tops, jeans, body paint and (gasp) nothing at all!!!
Where's chicken little when you need him, the sky is indeed falling.

 

[Marc-A.]

Thank you very much Ian for your post. Very instructive, not only funny. Thanks.

 

[35mmdelux]

very interesting. I think the early 8x10 film shooters thought that the smaller cameras would kill 8x10 film. A century later we can still buy 8x10 film.

I think the same may be true with 35mm film as challenged by digital.

Similarly in cinema, many thought that color would end b&w cinematography. I sort of chuckled when Steven Speilberg not only shot Schindler's List in b&w, but shot it handheld, instead of using a massive tripods.