Flashbulbs: Mishaps and Haps

This thread is about flashbulb mishaps and haps.

This is a mishap:

BrianShaw said:

I remember the mechanical firing devise [magicubes] -- it is permenantly imprinted on my retina. As a kid I was trying to figure out how they worked so I held one in my hand and pushed the "firing paddle" with a bent paper clip. The burns on my finger tips healed, but I still see that flash when I close my eyes.

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This is a hap:
I was standing on the A Train [subway] late at night returning from the 1964 New York World's Fair. I had my camera bag on my shoulder and the camera was in the bag. I saw a good photo opportunity [also known as a Kodak moment]. I took out a Number 6 blue focal plane flashbulb and rubbed the contact on the sole of my shoe to rough up the contact. I put the bulb in the fanfold flash attachment and had just opened up the fan and clipped the end to set up the reflector. Just then I felt a hand, which was not one of mine, reaching into the camera bag to do some camera shopping at prices much better than 47th Street's or Willoughby's had. I swung around and shoved the flash in the pickpocket's face and fired the flash about two or three inches from his eyes. The pickpocket got real animated and did a dance while teaching me a whole new part of the English language. The rest of the riders must have liked the show because they whistled, shouted, and clapped. The subway came to a stop at the next station and I ran out of the subway, up the stairs to the other side, down the flight of stairs and jumped in the subway going the other way.

Lessons Learned: I always carry focal plane flashbulbs where ever I go.

Steve

Ah yes, the A train. My favorite, Far Rockaway to 207th St.

this is a mishap

Back in the 50’s I was stationed on a sub tender.I was carrying the duty Speed Graphic and a gadget bag full of loose #5 flash bulbs and film holders to an assignment. I was walking by a sub tied up next to us when they fired up their radar. I felt a flash and heat. I looked down and all of my flash bulbs had gone off. Who know about radiant energy back then?

fschifano said:

Ah yes, the A train. My favorite, Far Rockaway to 207th St.

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A non-NY'er may not understand the narrow-minded bigotry behind your statement - but I do. And I am very glad you don't live in our City! The Big Apple is much better off without such negative attitudes.

BTW, when I drive down Central Ave. these days - looks like "folk" have figured out how to get to V.S. without the A Train!

copake_ham said:

A non-NY'er may not understand the narrow-minded bigotry behind your statement - but I do. And I am very glad you don't live in our City! The Big Apple is much better off without such negative attitudes.

BTW, when I drive down Central Ave. these days - looks like "folk" have figured out how to get to V.S. without the A Train!

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George,

The only "narrow-minded bigotry" in this thread is your reply. Nothing was said about the pickpocket or his background.

Now go take a time out and stand in the corner.

Steve

p.s. I guess this would classify as an example of what others have referred to as your supersensitive thin skin.
p.p.s. This is also an example of how you need to draw attention to yourself so that you can pick a flame war and hijack a thread.

Narrow minded bigotry? Where ever did you get that idea? I use the A train, almost daily. Gets me where I need to go quickly, cheaply, and efficiently. Works for me.

copake_ham said:

A non-NY'er may not understand the narrow-minded bigotry behind your statement - but I do. And I am very glad you don't live in our City! The Big Apple is much better off without such negative attitudes.

BTW, when I drive down Central Ave. these days - looks like "folk" have figured out how to get to V.S. without the A Train!

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maybe you should explain, even more so than 'non-NYers' there are many non-Americans here, there is a whole world and culture outside 'the Big Apple'

What the...?

Well, it seems that the A train does indeed go from 207th (Upper Manhattan) to Far Rockaway (Brooklyn).

But "folk" , "V.S." and the accusations of bigotry? You NYers use a way too compact language for outsiders to decode. I have had better success with Finnegans Wake.

More on topic: every time I take someone's portrait with a flashbulb on my camera, they are first blinded by the light, and then they are fascinated by the used bulbs, and ask me if they can keep it.

Of course I'd never let them have it, because I use them to build my super-gamma-death-ray that will let me take over the universe if I don't get a ransom of .... one million dollars!

mhv said:

More on topic: every time I take someone's portrait with a flashbulb on my camera, they are first blinded by the light, and then they are fascinated by the used bulbs, and ask me if they can keep it.

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Ha... I've seen this very often but never really thought much about it. Now that you mention it... it is kinda' funny! I've spent more time fascinated by how people respond to the aftereffect of the flash - some blink incessantly, some stare, others wobble, but the funniest is when people put their hands to their face like they can shield their eyes from what already happened!

This thread is about flashbulb mishaps and haps ...

Among the people who taught me photography was one David Bailey (no, not that one, another one) who did architectural work with a 4x5" and prided himself on never taking lights along on a job but instead replacing the normal light bulbs in a given interior with PF60 flashbulbs. Since these were designed to fire on a voltage between 3 and 120 V, their response to the application of 230 V was very prompt firing, together with explosions and blowing of fuses, all of which mayhem the said Mr. Bailey recounted with great relish.