Literature

[Jerevan]

I think that the general acceptance towards actually using a tripod was much greater back then. When you have little choice, you adapt to the circumstances.

And comparing the Leica to what people schlepped around those days it's no wonder the business took off.

 

[Dwig]

Hi,

I'd love to impress you all by explaining but can't without reading and rephrasing Brian Coe's excellent book 'Colour Photography The first hundred years 1840-1940' - that's not a misprint, btw. ISBN 0 904069 23 0 is the paperback version and change 23 0 to 24 9 for the 'casebound' version; I wonder if that means a slip case ...

Brian Coe's book is likely the best source for info on early color processes extant.

BTW, the "casebound" version, the one I have, is what we yanks call "hardback". It is cloth bound (brown) with text only on the spine (gold) and a full color dust jacket.

 

[Dralowid]

Yup, casebound is 'trade' terminology for what is commonly called hardback.

Quite whether it is perfect bound, Singer sewn, rounded and backed with head and tail bands, quarter bound etc etc I know not but as you can guess this used to be part of my trade.

I could go on...and on...and on...

 

[David Hughes]

Hmmm, have you looked closely at the paper Leitz used for their leaflets in the 30's? And then look at the rubbish they use these days...

I've books with changes of paper halfway through and so the front is off white and the back half brown.

Regards, David

 

[Dralowid]

The world of paper is something else. Around ten years ago a huge amount was being exported from Scandinavia to China to be turned into books and sent back to Europe/USA. Print prices were sufficiently cheap out there to undercut European suppliers despite all this mad shipping.

The Chinese have now invested in mills of their own but overall their prices are rising and India/Vietnam etc are now cheapest and very good too.

There is probably a parallel in almost every industry not excluding photographic equipment.

 

[Jim Lager]

Greetings David Hughes, I hope I am doing this properly. In your posting dated 03-18-2016 you show the front cover of Amateur Photographer
issue 2853 dated Wednesday July 14th , 1943 . It shows that Wallace Heaton Ltd. wants to buy from equipment owners their Leicas and Contaxes for the RAF. Was there further commentary inside the magazine? Would it be possible to reproduce the front cover for the LHSA Leica group here in the USA? Thank you for alerting me to the front cover. Jim Lager.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Thanks for the message; the photo in the post is 1024 high by 768 pixels which might be all you need or else you might want something bigger. So I've no objection to you copying it and so on but would like a note about my copyright. I can dig out a bigger version but it might take time to find the original.

What was on the cover was a paid for advert. I guess they bought the cameras in, checked and repaired and then sold on to the Govt. There's nothing else about it in the magazine but adverts of that sort appeared all over the place plus appeals later on for backing papers and spools and so on. Other effects of the war were a general deterioration in paper quality and a huge reduction in the number of copies the magazines could print.

And then there were restrictions placed on the prices chargeable for secondhand cameras. All that's from memory as the heap of old magazines is 3 or 4 ft high.

I hope this helps, let me know if you'd like the original of the photo and I'll try and work out some way of getting it to you.

Regards, David