Interesting old photo of photographers

AnselMortensen · Jun 13, 2025

The photo is post-1947...
The photographer on the left has a Pacemaker Speed Graphic, a post-war camera.
The other 2 photographers are using Anniversary Speed Graphics...the one on the far right is using a wartime-era "blackout" model.

Don_ih · Jun 14, 2025

Mick Fagan said:
there appears to be something photographic wise sitting on the top of the shelf, sort of looks like a Box Brownie with a flash, but then again it could be some kind of security device?

This:

I think might be a flashlight.

Tel · Jun 14, 2025

I recognise that—it’s an emergency lighting unit with a battery pack to power it. In case of a power outage or a fire, these things (there would have been several in the store) would come on to allow people to escape. Shops still have them, but like everything else they’ve gotten much smaller.

To me, the most interesting element of the photo is the poor woman trying to do her job amid a forest of important men.

Don_ih · Jun 14, 2025

Tel said:
an emergency lighting unit with a battery pack to power it

I'm not sure it's automated like the current ones. The ones in use now (and have been for decades) contain a lead-acid battery and are plugged into line voltage - when the power gets cut, they turn on. They're normally a bit bigger than that.

That thing kinda looks like this:

Nancy123 · Jun 14, 2025

Mick Fagan said:
The photographer on the far right, has a dark slide in his jacket pocket, as does the photographer standing on the bench top.

Plus, there appears to be something photographic wise sitting on the top of the shelf, sort of looks like a Box Brownie with a flash, but then again it could be some kind of security device?

Good eye, Mick, I hadn't seen those details. I think the Brownie camera with flash is correct. I find it fun to look for details in these old photos that tell us more about the era!

Nancy123 · Jun 14, 2025

Don_ih said:
That thing kinda looks like this:

Oh, you're probably right as there's no lens on the one in the photo.

Nancy123 · Jun 14, 2025

Tel said:
To me, the most interesting element of the photo is the poor woman trying to do her job amid a forest of important men.

And she's wearing gloves... of course!

Nancy123 · Jun 14, 2025

AnselMortensen said:
The photo is post-1947...
The photographer on the left has a Pacemaker Speed Graphic, a post-war camera.
The other 2 photographers are using Anniversary Speed Graphics...the one on the far right is using a wartime-era "blackout" model.

I admire anyone who knows that sort of thing!!!

Interesting old photo of photographers

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