You would surely remember that the only photo museum in Melbourne, and maybe in Australia, was Michael's in Elizabeth Street in the city. I recall it wasn't particularly well organized and maybe best described as "borderline clutter" but there were many fine cameras and a few rarities. The collection of Leica LTM gear made Leitz fanatics drool.
I visited many times over the years until the shop closed a couple of years ago. Now I hear the collection is being prepared to be sold at auction, or maybe it already has. Sad that it will be flogged off and dispersed, but that's the era we now live in.
I have many, many photos of Michael's Camera Museum. It was one of my stops on any City-based photo walk, especially on Grand Final Day. A walk would begin with grabbing some sushi and scoffing that down while walking up Lonsdale St towards Elizabeth, and finishing just before I reached the traffic lights near the church. From there, cross the road and into the wonders of Michael's Cameras. Apart from the Leica LTM gear, there were a few quirky collections like a line of Olympux XA models including a rare red one, a line of Pentax MX cameras, all the Zeiss Isowhatevers you can imagine, and even some early Kodak digital cameras.
The first batch of items from Michaels sold last year, I am not sure if/when the rest will be sold. The first lot included the giant Leica III model that was suspended in the staircase, I think this was bought by 'Rambo' Peter the Leica collector and dealer in Sydney. It was sad that Michaels closed and the museum contents auctioned off.
This photo cannot convey the scope and breadth of items on display. It was cluttered, yes, but you would notice something new every time you went. Note the red XA on the top shelf. I wish I'd had the time to go back and photograph every single cabinet in that place before it closed.
F30 - Michael's Camera Museum by
Archiver, on Flickr
I also fondly remember the Kodak Shop on Collins Street, not far from Leon Splitter's photo shop on Elizabeth Street. Both now long gone. I often bought my Kodachrome from Kodak and Leon sold me one or two fine cameras, sadly I no longer have them. On bad days Leon could be a handful to deal with and his offhand comments held a nasty bite and offended many would be customers, but he knew his trade and he was a good man with a fine reputation. Sadly,I was told he made some poor business decisions and had to sell out and leave the business.
So many good photo shops now gone from the CBD. A few remain, in the suburbs. Time passes so quickly.
Camera House on Elizabeth closed some years ago - I think that was on the corner, opposite where Digidirect is now. Camera Exchange moved to an industrial park in Box Hill, and Camera Lane moved to the same street at the Visy glass recycling plant in Spotswood. This water tank thing is in the same street as Camera Lane.
GX85 - Welcome to Spotswood by
Archiver, on Flickr
Teds and Digidirect are the only camera shops in Elizabeth Street now, apart from the camera section at JB Hifi. My main man at Teds, the redoubtable Steve Mills, retired a few years before the pandemic. He was always fun to chat with, his knowledge of Leica was deep, and he sometimes spoke at Australian LHSA chapter meetings. I must give him a call and see how he is.
But anyway, we're taking
@lynnb topic wayyyy off course!
