Locked away forever

[ishutteratthethought]

As I was on vacation last week I stumbled upon this poor fella in a museum.

It was sad to think It will most likely never be used to take photographs again………what a waste…..such a waste........(head bowed over)

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

Looks to me to be in the prime of his life.

Ken

 

[Jeff Kubach]

Looks great, wish it was still being used.

Jeff

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Cameras like that are like violins. They should be played.

 

[altair]

Agreed.

 

[vpwphoto]

I have its sister here in my studio..

 

[gandolfi]

I know of one in a local "museum"... the camera is huge - the bellows needs to be repaired, but on the front, there is a huge petzval lens with three digits number - very, very old...

They won't put it on display because of the bellows....

-shaking my head-

 

[Vaughn]

There is a nice old wood camera in the display case at the Yosemite Visitor center, too...and in museums across the world, too.

At least they can usually be seen. But think about all the cameras in private collections -- hidden away.

 

[Ian Grant]

The local museum near me has a sorry looking LF slr on display and I'm approaching them with a view to estoring it. They are actively using other museum items to show how they are/were used so they may be willing to listen.

Ian

 

[amsp]

I think it's a damn shame any time a camera that could be used instead is being displayed in a museum or hid away in some collector's vault. Cameras are made to be used and enjoyed, sitting on a shelf they're just inanimate objects but in the hands of a photographer they come alive.

 

[Kerik]

There is a nice old wood camera in the display case at the Yosemite Visitor center, too...and in museums across the world, too.

At least they can usually be seen. But think about all the cameras in private collections -- hidden away.

Yep, I provided the camera and lens at the request of the AA Gallery for the display. There's plenty of old 8x10's laying around not being used. Having a few on display in museums is better than them rotting in someone's basement...

 

[ishutteratthethought]

Yep, I provided the camera and lens at the request of the AA Gallery for the display. There's plenty of old 8x10's laying around not being used. Having a few on display in museums is better than them rotting in someone's basement...

I hear ya Kerik, I would rather see them in the museum rather than squirled away.

When I first saw it, I had a thought to try and barter with the museum... the thought left as fast as it came.

 

[Mark Crabtree]

I don't think there is any shortage of large format cameras for users, and 8x10 studio cameras haven't been in much demand for over 50 years. I've turned down several over the years. I like seeing them used, but also like seeing them on display where more people can learn something about the history of photography.

 

[Vaughn]

Yep, I provided the camera and lens at the request of the AA Gallery for the display. There's plenty of old 8x10's laying around not being used. Having a few on display in museums is better than them rotting in someone's basement...

So I will you to thank the next time I am in the Valley and someone yells out -- "Look! A museum piece! And he has a camera just like in the Visitor Center!"

 

[Moopheus]

Having a few on display in museums is better than them rotting in someone's basement...

Or put in the dumpster, or made into ipod docks, or any number of other things. Yes, we say "too bad that's not being used" but the problem is there aren't enough people who want to use them. Not putting the camera in a museum isn't going to change that. You want the camera to get used? Go out and find someone to use it.

The other day I was at Harvard's Sackler museum, where an exhibit of some of Lionel Feininger's photography was on display. His cameras--a Voigtlander Berheil and a Leica I--were on display in a case. I'd make a guess they haven't been used in a long time.

 

[ishutteratthethought]

Or put in the dumpster, or made into ipod docks, or any number of other things. Yes, we say "too bad that's not being used" but the problem is there aren't enough people who want to use them. Not putting the camera in a museum isn't going to change that. You want the camera to get used? Go out and find someone to use it.

The other day I was at Harvard's Sackler museum, where an exhibit of some of Lionel Feininger's photography was on display. His cameras--a Voigtlander Berheil and a Leica I--were on display in a case. I'd make a guess they haven't been used in a long time.

Peace brother, this was just a comment on how I...me...felt when I sawthe camera, I know/understand that not everyone is using these machines. It was a moment in time. It was initial thought when the camera was viewed sitting on a glass case in a museum, it was nothing more. The post is just conversation, a little fun..understand?

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

That is a beauty, Steve! Wow. It almost makes me sad I'm not into sheet film shooting...
Although there's a devil sitting on my shoulder, calling my name, saying "paper negatives"... Could do that with the 5x7 that's collecting dust in my basement. Maybe it's time for a geek-out fest.

 

[removed account4]

i stayed at a little hotel in the mountains in southern france years ago
they had a HUGE view camera on display in the lobby, it was like 18x22" or bigger
i almost asked if i could USE it when i was there, but i didn't want to freak out the staff.

 

[eddie]

As photographers, I think we tend to anthropomorphize our cameras. I know I've been the first to put film through a few cameras that hadn't been used in decades. Each time, I'm certain that the camera is happy... I know I'm glad I can help the camera do what it was created to do, after a long hiatus.
I think of unused, museum cameras as dinosaur bones. A camera that is used is still alive. What would be nice is if the museum cameras got used at least once a year. I think they'd appreciate it. Mine do- they told me so...

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

There are a number of vintage aircraft museums in the Puget Sound area of Washington state. My favorites are those where the aircraft shown are displayed with drip pans under their engines. Not hanging from the ceiling by wires.

Most Saturdays all summer long, weather and pilot availability allowing, the vintage military aircraft owned by Paul Allen and open to the public at Paine Field in Everett, Washington are rolled out, fired up, and flown. There is no charge to come watch, and every effort is made to accomodate interested photographers. At the end of last summer I came to watch Allen's B-25J Mitchell bomber fly together with another B-25D from a different collection also at Paine. What a treat.

It's the same principle.

Ken

 

[jordanstarr]

Since the point of museums is to educate the public historically, I don't really get sad thinking of this camera sitting in a case for it's life. I certainly wouldn't call it a "waste". If it was given to one person to use, they would likely be the ONLY one getting anything from it. At least this way, many people can come in and be educated on large format photography. Hell, it might get someone interested enough in it to go out and buy one. That's how I got into large format a few years ago -seeing Yousuf Karsh's stuff on exhibit in a museum. I was inspired and in awe when I saw the prints and the technical skill that went into large format photography, how he treated the negatives, how he took the TIME to really get into his subjects and the QUALITY of the prints was unsurpassed. There's plenty of large format cameras out there for you to buy, own and use extensively. Just because one of them is locked up doesn't mean you need to be upset about it.

 

[LoganCAdams]

What museum was this in?

 

[ishutteratthethought]

What museum was this in?

That would be the Ruinstone Museum, where the one and only Kensington Ruinstone lies. A piece of granite with Viking writing on it proving that the Vikings were in America long before Columbus. Not before the Native Americans of course.
Check it out here: http://www.runestonemuseum.org/

Steve

 

[E. von Hoegh]

View attachment 49240

As I was on vacation last week I stumbled upon this poor fella in a museum.

It was sad to think It will most likely never be used to take photographs again………what a waste…..such a waste........(head bowed over)

Well, it's not being used. But it is being preserved - there are more of these cameras than people who know how to use them. Come to think of it, that's always been true. Look on the bright side, some halfwit could be glueing sequins on it and calling it art.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

That would be the Ruinstone Museum, where the one and only Kensington Ruinstone lies. A piece of granite with Viking writing on it proving that the Vikings were in America long before Columbus. Not before the Native Americans of course.
Check it out here: http://www.runestonemuseum.org/

Steve

Ummm. It's "Runestone" not "ruinstone". Like it says in the link.