Update on the Collections

Gentle Reader,

I want to thank you for following my blog. I know I don't update it often. Much to do with my time................

I came across a picture I made long ago of Nancy's Beanie Babys collection. It is from the late 1990's. I'm sure we have more now. 99% of them are located in vacuum sealed bags under the stairs. Been there since we bought this place in 2001..........Here:
This was in the dining room in the townhouse we rented all those years. Taken with a film camera, or perhaps the first 1.3 megapixel Fuji digital camera Nancy bought me.

I had once again shrunk the camera collection. Every time I looked at the collection while sitting here, I thought, "Why do I have so many cameras? I'm not going to use them. Time to pass some on to other collectors."

So, here is the cabinet as the collection sits today:
Here is what is on the shelves, starting with the Nikon N90s 35mm film SLR and Pentax Auto 110 110 film SLR with flash and wider:
Next is the last 110 rangefinder camera from what was an extensive collection; the Kodak Trimlite 48 with a Kodak film box on top. Next to it is Nancy's Mom's Minolta 16 camera and film box. Both cameras use 16mm film. Kodak added a paper back and changed the sprocket holes to make 110 film:
Finally on the right side of the top shelf is the collection of ceramic "Boyd's Bears" most of which are camera related. Nancy bought them all for me:
On the next shelf down, we have the Voigtlander Vitessa that our dear friend, Jim, gave me when I announced sometime in the late 1990's that I was going to collect cameras.
He carried it all over Korea when he was there during the "police action" in the 1950's.
Next to that is a Walz Envoy. A particularly shapely camera I found in an antiques mall:
The Vitessa has "barn doors" that pop open when the shutter button is pressed. The doors open and the lens pops out. Great picture taker.

Next is the Kurubiashi Petri Automate. Another shapely model with a fast f1.9 lens.
To the right of it and to the left of the camera below is the same King Regula IIId. It was made in Germany. The one on the right below is the Yashica J that Nancy's Dad used for many years. It doesn't work now.

Funnily, the very first camera I bought at a church bazaar was also a Yashica J. Julio, (Nancy's Dad) showed me how to tell it was in focus. My first exposure to what became the focus of my camera collection: Rangefinders. Next shelf holds one of the million plus made Argus C3 "brick" camera. Mine is a very early pre-WWII model. On top sits the optional selenium light meter. Next to it is a modern (for the time) interpretation of a rangefinder camera: Olympus XA with removable A16 flash. The door on the middle slides to the side to reveal the lens and light meter.
Below is a photo of the beautiful Leica IIIC that I covered in red sea-snake skin. Below it is a Japanese Aires 35 IIIC. A blatant visual copy of the Leica M3. Hidden behind that rubber folded lens shade on the left below is the most sophisticated 110 film camera made. Like the Pentax Auto 110 shown above, it is an SLR. Unlike the Pentax, it has a non-removable zoom lens with macro capabilities. It's name? Minolta Zoom 110 SLR Mark 2: Mark 2 (II) because they'd beaten Pentax to the punch by bringing out the world's first 110 film SLR. It was ugly. They'd grafted a prism and smaller zoom lens to a standard 110 flat camera. It worked and sold well, but.........The Mark II looks like a small 35mm SLR and feels great in the hands. A great picture taker.

To the right (above) is one of my most precious cameras because it was a surprise gift from my brother, Jim. Also German, it's a Rollei 35. The most compact full-frame 35mm camera. Very sharp photos it makes.

Here's a better picture of the Minolta Mark II, sans lens cap and below it a better picture of the Pentax Auto 110 without all the added parts:
Back to the current collections as on the shelves. The bottom shelf of cameras starts with a camera I've had before, then sold, then realized it had a nice lens that I could use on my Voigtlander Bessa R which is truly a modern 35mm rangefinder camera. The Zorki 4K. So, I bought this one for a song because it doesn't work. The lens this one has on it is from an older FED camera. The all-black Jupiter-8 lens (not shown) is a Soviet copy of a Zeiss Sonnar lens. It matches the all-black Bessa R. Next to it is the Zorki 3M. One of the nicest Zorkis. It is what the Leica could have been but wasn't until the M3 came out.
The Aires you've already seen, so that leaves the last two. Re-badged camera sold by Sears and Wards.
The one on the left, sold by Wards was made by Konica. The Sears model on the right was made by Ricoh. It is a spring-motor drive model. The knob on the bottom right is wound and will move the film with each shot.

Below that shelf, in the center is a 1/18th scale 1963 Ford Falcon. Nancy's first car was
a '63 Falcon, only hers was a four door and a beater. To the point of this blog though is that on the left of the car is:
Believe it or not, the one on the left is a REAL camera. It is of the "Hit" variety of cheap Japanese "spy" cameras of the 1950's and '60's. The next one is a pencil sharpener and the one on the right is ceramic and made by Boyds like the bears above. To the right of the Falcon is:
The two on the left are clock/cameras with small watch movements in them. The all black one was a cigarette lighter. The last one is just a tiny toy camera.
Below is the rest of the cameras that are on display. They sit on what was once the middle shelf but is now the top shelf of the almost eight foot tall shelf.

They are: Vrebbit all-paper pin-hole camera I made from a kit Nancy bought me. Hardest part was making the bellows. Next from the left is a real gem, a pre-WWII Rolleiflex Automat. It uses 120 roll film which is still widely used. It's a TLR, or Twin-Lens-Reflex camera. Next is a folding Kodak camera and box Kodak camera. Both given to me by my sister, Rebecca. Next is one of Nancy's Dad's movie cameras. It shoots 8mm film. Somewhere in the attic is his 16mm movie camera. Speaking of Julio, the last on the right is a post-WWII Busch Pressman camera. It shoots 4x5" sheet film.

He sent it to me as a gift from Puerto Rico. It blew me away once I figured out how to open it. Box just came in the mail. No note. I'd never messed with a "Press" camera before and it was in pieces in the box. On top amongst the newspaper was the reflector, front side down. Then the folded body. A large black metal box. Last was the flash battery holder.
Interestingly, that is the basis for Luke Skywalker's light saber. No kidding.

I'd called Nancy at work and told her a box had arrived from her Dad addressed to me. "Open it." She said. I talked through each thing as I pulled it out. It wasn't until I pressed the body release button on the top front and the front opened and I saw "Linhof". Was I surprised? You bet!

Now, below is the cabinet as it currently is arranged:

Compare it to the photo at the very bottom of the page to see how many cameras now reside in other collections around the world.

Thanks for looking!

Scott