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

A Fisher and 78 RPM record albums join the family.

Gentle Reader,

I came across a record album at Salvation Army. First of all, let me tell the history of why music discs are referred to as "albums".

Because the rotating speed of 78 RPM was chosen by record companies and electronics companies, for a specific reason related to a common motor's rotating speed, songs and music had to be not much more than two minutes long to fit on one side. In the early years, ten inches was the diameter of records.

If one liked and could afford to buy lots of records, they needed someplace to keep them safe as they were/are fragile. Someone, I know not who, came up with the idea of creating books with record sleeves instead of pages to keep ten to twelve records in.
The result looked like a photo album of the time and thus were dubbed "record
albums".

The name stuck to this day. Making a CD is still called "cutting and album". CDs are often referred to as being "pressed". Even though no pressing or cutting of grooves is involved like in the making a vinyl record. Yes the CD discs are flat, but no music is cut into them. Ones and zeros are burned into the pits of the aluminum sheet sandwiched in between two clear plastic discs. MANY, MANY ones and zeros.

At one of my favorite thrift stores I came across a record album of Arturo Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra playing Brahms' Symphony #1.

What was odd to me was that the records are 12 inches not 10 inches like I thought all 78s are. No where was "long playing" or LP on the labels. So, out of curiosity, I bought them. Research proved they are 78s. So now, how to play them.............

"I know," I thought, "I'll buy an old turntable that plays 78s on eBay." So, the search began. While we have a "retro" stereo in the living room that has a record player that will run 78 RPM, it has an LP/45 RPM stylus which is way to narrow for the wide 78 grooves.

Note, when LP (long playing) records came about it was because they'd figured out a way to cut "microgrooves" and make records "unbreakable". Singles which is what all 78s are except ones that are made of some long music like the Brahms above, were then made on 7 inch records with a 1 inch hole in them at that spin at 45 RPM.

LPs were made in 10 and 12 inches in the beginning depending on the record label. Eventually 12 inches won out like VHS did over Betamax. For those younger readers,
like Blu-Ray won out over HD-DVD.

The cheapest record player that I found was to my surprise a Fisher console. AND it was located a few miles from me. Starting price was $10. So, I bid on it and won.

The owner is a retired gentleman that is even more obsessed with stereo and HiFi than I am. The difference is he has more money than I do to buy stuff and he is into TUBE
equipment. Which I would love to be. He has the largest collection of a Belgian companie's equipment in the world. He bought the Fisher with the intent to use it but never did. The original owner that bought it new in 1967 sold it to him. It was quite expensive when new.

It is officially called the "FISHER METROPOLITAN" and has the "Modern" cabinet which was made in Canada of black walnut solids and veneers. The Fisher receiver is stereo and is not tube but early "solid state" i.e., transistors. The turntable that came with it is a DUAL (made-in-Germany) 1014 four speed changer. That means it will rotate at 16, 33 1/3rd, 45 and 78 RPM. 16 was used for books on record. The speakers are 12 inch woofers, six inch squawkers, and 3 inch cone tweeters. The only part of the cabinet that is "particle board" in the speaker cabinets as it should be. Solid wood resonates at certain frequencies. The Fisher Console Website

So, getting my youngest, Daniel to help me, we went over on a Saturday to pick it up.
QUITE heavy it is.

Brought it home to the family room. It sits where the radio collection originally sat in the family room downstairs. I put on side one of the Brahms and it played fine. Put on side two and at first is was OK. The all of a sudden it was not making music but scratching the record! WTF?

Something failed in the 43-year-old record player as it was jerking back and forth. Vintage mechanical record changers are incredibly complex mechanisms. There was no way I could fix it. So, back to eBay.............Duals were going for a lot of money.

I found and bought another German turntable an Elac Miracord H50 which was a very expensive player and considered "professional". I got it for just over $23.

In the mean time waiting for it to arrive I'd replaced the 43 year old cheap RCA interconnecting cables from the record player to the receiver with much better modern ones. Also, I replaced the cheap, thin, old speaker wires with the twisted pair ones that bring music in here from the living room. Plus I added some fiberglass to the speaker cabinets. All in the interest of improving the sound.

Once the H50 arrived, I made a template from the base it came on and hand cut the new shape to fit this larger player. ONE small problem. Being wider, there is NO room for the rear of the tone arm, with the big counterweight on it, to swing to the right as the records play! ARGGHH!

I sadly cut a rectangular hole in the side of the cabinet to allow it to move. I hated to do it, but it was needed. I was not giving up!

So, I put a record on and hit start.......Nothing! It played separately from the cabinet!
Under I went and poked around. Now it's running but only 45 RPM!!!!! Out it came, off came the platter. I played with the controls and got it going at 78. Whew!

Back in it went. Now it won't work on auto! No problem, since this is truly "old school" stuff, I can play it manually. Now it won't shut off!!!!!!

Back on eBay, I saw another one that had a rocker switch on the front. AH! I can put
a switch on mine too. Which I did. A toggle switch mounted on a bracket screwed to the back of the cabinet. Now I can turn the beast on and off.

All this because I wanted to play this one Symphony at 78 RPM!

Well, naturally, now I wanted more 78s. Saw a bunch when we went down to Old Town in Fredericksburg. Too expensive at $3.00 each. A week or so later at Salvation Army, I found SIX albums. All with 12 records in them. Proper 10 inch ones. I went through all of them picking out seventeen then had to whittle it down to 12: One album. I was delighted to find is my favorite song (i.e., music with singing) from the era: "Jingle, Jangle, Jingle" by Kay Kyser and his Orchestra. Long story as to why I like it. Some other time. Sadly, it had been in a juke box and was worn out. I've got a pristine one coming from an eBay seller.

Here's what's in the ALBUM:
Jingle, Jangle, Jingle Kay Kyser and his Orchestra
He Wears a Pair of Silver Wings ditto
On A Slow Boat To China ditto
In The Market Place of Old Monterey ditto
What are You Doing New Year's Eve? ditto
On The Old Spanish Trail ditto
Ole Buttermilk Sky ditto
On The Wrong Side of You ditto
The Old Lamp Lighter ditto
Huggin' and Chalkin' ditto
Close as Pages in a Book Benny Goodman and his Orchestra
You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me ditto Oh! What it Seemed to Be Frank Sinatra with orchestra
Day By Day ditto
Just For Now ditto
Everybody Loves Somebody ditto
But None Like You ditto*
We Just Couldn't Say Good-Bye ditto
I'd Be lost Without You Frankie Carle and His Orchestra
Cynthia's In Love ditto
My Promise to You ditto
Tell Me A Story ditto
I'll Be There Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra
Kate ditto

All the records EXCEPT the last one are on Columbia with a red label. The Dorsey record is on RCA Victor with a black label. All are in amazing condition. I wanted "Big Band" music. I love the stuff. Even though it was from decades before I was born. Reincarnation?

The album itself, the best of the bunch was made by FREEMAN RADIO & ELECTRIC CO., INC. 1225 Main St. Springfield, Massachusetts and is H. R. S. Special Album Design D. Printed in the U.S.A. Just thought I'd throw that in.

At the top of the page is "The Fisher" as it sits now in the family room. Below it is open but off:
You can see the two albums in the built-in pocket on the left. Also, you can see the small window I had to cut to clear the tone arm and weight.

Below is the two albums closed:
And now, they are open and below that with a record of 12 inches and 10 inches.
Below is the 12" Toscannini open and below that is the 10" regular album. Note the lists of records that once were housed in it.

Below, at last, is side one of the Brahms playing. YAY! It sounds great.
WHOA! What is that? It is the modern version of "The Fisher". It too is a Fisher. It has all that one would want: CD player, AM/FM Stereo tuner, Aux. inputs for MP3 player or cassette if so inclined.
I found it, still sealed, at the same Salvation Army. Being it was Wednesday, which is 25% off day, it was $22.50. New. It is capable of being wall mounted like a flat screen TV and the speakers detach as well and can be wall mounted. A wall is a bad place for speakers to live. The ONLY thing is doesn't have is a HD radio tuner or satellite tuner.
Can't have it all for less than $25!

It sits next to me, here in the office. Thing is, I hardly listen to the living room system via the speakers in here anymore.

Thanks for looking!

Scott