1955 Sears Camera Catalog scan posted

[Blake Werts]

Hello All,

In another thread there was a memory/mention of those older Sears Camera Catalogs and I offered to scan the one that I have from 1955 for all to see/use/enjoy. Its received lots of interest so we fould a place to host the files for a while... hoping that others could gain from the scanning time that I spent... ;-)

We've got them up for all to see--in four parts:

http://www.codehappy.com/transfers/S...g1955part1.pdf
http://www.codehappy.com/transfers/S...g1955part2.pdf
http://www.codehappy.com/transfers/S...g1955part3.pdf
http://www.codehappy.com/transfers/S...g1955part4.pdf

I hope that you do enjoy these. (And if there is more interest, I have a few other catalogs of the same sort from Montgomery wards from the late 40s to the mid 60s that I could scan as well.)

Enjoy!
Blake

 

[mich8261]

Tower cameras! Where do I get one?!

This is great. Thanks for posting.

 

[bsdunek]

Really nostalgic, Blake. This was when I was in high school. Dad would get these catalogs and I would spend hours pouring over them deciding what I would get (never got much though). Sears and Wards really went into this. Our local Sears and Wards stores both had big photography departments, with all this stuff including a lot of darkroom supplies.
The only place better was Detroit Camera Shop which was quite a ways away. That was a whole day event to go there.
I would like to see more.

 

[dazedgonebye]

Love it.
I'm not sure about those miniature cameras though...

 

[BillBingham2]

Very cool.

Thanks.

B2

 

[AJShepherd]

Fantastic!

Now all we need is a time machine and a ready supply of 1950s currency!

 

[bmattock]

Excellent work! I've been doing something similar:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wigwam/collections/72157608778931266/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wigwam/sets/72157608800502436/

 

[Merkin]

Excellent work! I've been doing something similar:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wigwam/collections/72157608778931266/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wigwam/sets/72157608800502436/

Thanks for posting that. It somehow escaped me that Leica sold multiple versions of their M cameras simultaneously. For some reason, I thought that they discontinued the older models as they introduced new ones.

 

[Al Kaplan]

I just got another Ansco Memar just like the one I bought in 1955! Those prices look so cheap until you figure what the average weekly pay check was like back then if you were working your first job!

 

[Merkin]

I just got another Ansco Memar just like the one I bought in 1955! Those prices look so cheap until you figure what the average weekly pay check was like back then if you were working your first job!

Adjusted for inflation, are M cameras cheaper or more expensive brand new today then they were back then?

 

[xayraa33]

Adjusted for inflation, are M cameras cheaper or more expensive brand new today then they were back then?

a 178 dollar Tower type 3 with ER case and f2 Nikkor lens in 1955 is equal to 1,436.62 dollars in 2009.

a good paying job in 1955 paid around 50 to 65 dollars a week.

 

[Robburrito]

Even the most basic, viewfinder-only 1/200 speed Tower 35mm cost the equivalent of $257 today. Add the rangefinder and 1/300 speed and the price almost doubles to $447. There's a good reason Grandpa didn't shoot a Leica!

 

[Robburrito]

Contax IIIA w/ f2 sonnar? $3,016 in today's equivalent.

 

[Frank Petronio]

On a lot of those cameras the prices are the same. I'm surprised at how much the Kodaks cost -- more expensive that I realized.

Thanks!

 

[Hibbs]

Blake...just wanted to say Thanks for doing this; it is much appreciated.

~ Hibbs

 

[Solinar]

Fantastic!

Now all we need is a time machine and a ready supply of 1950s currency!

The original Contax prices haven't dropped that significantly since 1955 - but then again $400 was more than a monthly paycheck back then.

 

[sienarot]

That's great! Mind if I share these links? 🙂

 

[emraphoto]

those argus c3's have maintained their value quite well...

 

[FallisPhoto]

Those were the days! Three rolls of ASA 10 Kodachrome for $5! Excuse me. I have to go off and cry for a while.

 

[VictorM.]

Thanks for the scans!