Obsolescence Project

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  • roll of 35 mm film

    Day 360 – Roll of 35mm Film

  • 45 Decca

    Day 311 – Unbreakable Decca 45 RPM

  • 8 track tape

    Day 309 – 8 Track 100 Golden Greats Max Bygraves

  • 8 Track

    Day 306 – 8 Track > Love Songs

  • 45 adapeter insert

    Day 305 – 45 rpm adapter

  • Barometer

    Day 284 – Barometer

  • Block Buster

    Day 254 – Video Store Membership Card

  • Blue Alphabet Stencil

    Day 214 – Alphabet Stencil

  • Chalkboard

    Day 185 – Chalkboard

  • Blender

    Day 183 – Blender

  • Photo Album

    Day 182 – Photo Album

  • Coin Collection

    Day 181 – Coin Collection Book

  • cable part

    Day 179 – Cable Part

  • Viking Jr Scale

    Day 156 – Viking Jr. Hanson Scale

  • Musical Movement

    Day 140 – Blue Hawaii Musical Movement

  • Swiza Clock

    Day 134 – Swiza Clock

  • Clip on Earrings

    Untitled 119 – Clip on Earrings

  • Cassette Tapes

    Day 118 – Untitled Cassette Tapes

  • Egg Beater

    Day 115 – Egg Beaters

  • Art CDs

    Day 110 – Art CDs

  • Sony Walkman

    Day 104 – Sony Walkman Sports

  • Bacon's Map

    Day 96 – Bacon’s Reversible Map No. 1

  • Bates Staples

    Day 82 – Bates Standard Staples

  • Black Cat box

    Day 59 – Black Cat Virginia Cigarette Tin

  • Dalton Adding Machine

    Day 40 – Dalton Adding Machine

  • kodak insatmatic camera

    Day 28 – Kodak Instamatic X-15

  • Mamiya

    Day 22 – Mamiya C33

  • zippo

    Day 20 – Zippo Lighter

  • Revere Movie Camera

    Day 5 – Revere 16

  • Light Meter

    Day 1- Light Meter

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Day 360 – Roll of 35mm Film

roll of 35 mm film

Roll of  Fuji Superia 35 mm film. 24 exposures. I’ve left this at the studio so can’t double check, but it’s probably not the 100 Reala (for “professionals”) which I did used to use; instead I would guess it’s the 200.

This was in the fridge, somehow overlooked. Shocking really as I do clean the fridge. Once upon a time you could open up my fridge and find various rolls of film, 35mm and 120, in unexposed and exposed states. And lots of limes, but that’s another story.

I’m almost certain this is unused, as the leader reel was out. As soon as I touched the leader it broke off. Perhaps it grew tired of waiting.

 

roll of 35 mm film

Status: Take a chance on its unused status, delicately pull out the leader and load up the old Nikon for one last walkabout. I would like to see a contact sheet again, even if it happens to be double exposed.

Kill-ratio: 22:3 / ~7:1

Alt-title: Untitled Object No. 360 For Processing Laments At Analog Speeds

====================================

Today is Mardi Gras. I permit myself the indulgence of absolutely delicious Yogurt and Onion potato chips. Then I will give them up for Lent. I’m barely religious, but these little rituals do linger.  They are to be accompanied by a cold glass of Chardonnay – with ice. Not too classy, but hey, the Pope resigned, who’s judging?

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Day 311 – Unbreakable Decca 45 RPM

A Decca 45RPM “Unbreakable Record”. The Whiffenpoof Song on Side A recorded by Bing Crosby with Fred  Waring, and “Kentucky Babe” on Side B. I think it was released in 1947 based upon the billboard magazine below.

Whiffenpoofs

The Actual Whiffenpoofs- an undergraduate musical group at Yale, who first published the song in 1909. They look like a rather fun bunch.

Whiffenpoof Song

Billboard Magazine 1947

Billboard Magazine 1951

Billboard Magazine 1951 – The song was still going strong in 1951

45 Decca

Status: Play The Whiffenpoof Song in the background while filming a mermaid in the harbour.

Kill-ratio: 18:2 / 9:1

Alt-title: Untitled Object No. 311 For Breaking Out Of Old Habits

_____________________________________________________

Although I had this post prepped yesterday, it felt somehow wrong. Not that a day makes a difference.

With Deepest Sympathy to All Those Families in Connecticut

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Day 309 – 8 Track 100 Golden Greats Max Bygraves

8 track

1977 8-track “100 Golden Greats” by Max Bygraves.

Max Bygraves seems to have been quite well known on the other side of the pond. I had never heard of him until I picked up this tape. For free btw, along with the others. He was a comedian, an actor, and, although I cannot play this tape to attest to it 100%, evidence would suggest, he was also a fairly prolific singer. He only died this past August. The Guardian headlines his obit  with  “Sentimental singer and cheery comedian who became a star at the London Palladium“.

 

8 track tape

Status: Unravel Tape

Kill-ratio: 16: 3/ ~5:1

Alt-title:    Untitled Object No. 309 For Schmaltzing Away the Blues

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Day 306 – 8 Track > Love Songs

Eight-Track Tape of Miscellaneous Love Songs From the 70s.

So this one is a little bit of a cheat. Just a wee bit. Which is that it hasn’t been hanging around the apartment or the studio, but was purchased only recently at a 2nd-hand/antiques store whose location I have vowed to keep secret.

I promised Mr. OP there would be no purchasing junk for this project, but I couldn’t resist when I asked the shopkeeper how much these were, and she said the magic word — free.

She told me when she got them as part of an estate sale, and was wondering if there would ever be someone who might be interested in such antiques. I told her about my project, but not having a business card for this project, I didn’t give leave behind any real trace. It was the type of shop where no technology past 1980 was anywhere to be seen. Delightful.

She also had a bunch of cassette tapes, in a case(!), for free, but I resisted. Day 118  has those covered.

“There is a debate among collectors about the last commercial eight-track released by a major label, but many agree it was Fleetwood Mac‘s Greatest Hits in November 1988.” (Wikipedia)

8-track

Status: Open Up To See How It’s Made.

Kill-ratio: 16: 2/ 8:1

Alt-title: Untitled Object No. 306 For Unrequited Love

 

p.s Had to file this under “Vinyl” category. Close enough eh?

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Day 305 – 45 rpm adapter

45 adapter insert

45 rpm plastic insert adapter. Also known as a spider.

45 adapters advert

“45” RPM automatic spindle adapters. From Wikipedia

A site after Obso’s heart has already captured all the specs about patents and whatnot. “It appears that the molded plastic insert was invented by James L. D. Morrison for the Voice of Music corporation of Benton Harbor, Michigan.” Head over there for more.

45 adapeter insert

Status: Bundle together as bonus with 45s that will be sold.

Kill-ratio: 26: 2/ 13: 1

Alt-title: Untitled Object No. 305 For Making Space For Sound.

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Day 284 – Barometer

Barometer. Thermometer and Hygrometer. Mid-Century perhaps.

Leonardo da Vinci built the first crude hygrometer in the 1400s.
I thought this was a barometer, and luckily my readers alerted me to both its non-barometerness and its true name. Check out John’s photographs here, and Olive’s blog here. I still love the quote below though, so I leave it intact.

“Many have said that a vacuum does not exist, others that it does exist in spite of the repugnance of nature and with difficulty; I know of no one who has said that it exists without difficulty and without a resistance from nature.” — Evangelista Torricelli, Italian physicist and mathematician, largely credited with the invention of the barometer in 1643.

Barometer

Status: Perform Tests Over 30 Days to Measure Accuracy and Plot on Graph in Blue With Red Representing The Weather Network, and Green the Moving Average Between Them.

Kill-ratio: 14:2 / 7:1
This might go up as I’d like to re-shoot this object. But at least 81 objects are being lined up first.

Alt-title: Untitled Object No. 284 For Measuring The Pressure of Guilt

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Day 254 – Video Store Membership Card

BlockBuster Membership Card.

I was surprised to find BB’s website still exists – but then I read that after filing for bankruptcy they were aquired by Dish Network earlier this year. Nonetheless, the store near us has been closed for about 2 years I think. It’s a big hulk of a store, with an odd oblong shape. I think re-purposing it would be challenging, and hence it sits empty, an echoing chamber of the goliath it used to be.

Block Buster Card

Status: Play the lotto with these numbers.

Kill-ratio: 18: 2 / 9:1

Alt-title: Untitled Object No. 254 For Scraping Gum Off Shoes

Alt-title credits/info and kill-ratio stuff here.

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Day 214 – Alphabet Stencil

Blue Alphabet Stencil

Blue Plastic Alphabet Stencil.

Plucked from Mr. OP’s desk. I love the colour. Blue and orange are currently my two favourite colours.

More info about stencils appeared on Day 107 –  Letter Stencil.

 

Status: Trace the word Orange and the Blue. Repeat Three Times.

Kill-ratio: 18: 2 / ~9:1

Alt-title: Untitled Object No. 214 For Stenciling Out A Love Letter.

As per usual, a shout-out thanks to Richard, and to John, for inspiring the Alt-Title Untitled post babble, and to Ben for the jokes format. I hope there’s someone out there who knows html and appreciates the extra element of the “joke” (no pun intended).

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Day 185 – Chalkboard

Chalkboard

Chalkboard.

Yet another garage sale find. It hung on the inside of the front door for quite a while as a place to keep notes/lists of things to do, to buy, to look up, to remember.

Now that it’s removed the entrance really does feel better. There’s something to say for that feng shui stuff about doors.

 

Status: Hopefully Mr. OP has already donated this.

Kill-ratio: 12:2 / 6:1

Alt-Title: Untitled Board No. 185 For Preserving Dust.

I direct you towards Ben for bar jokes. And, as usual to Richard and John for inspiring this Alt Title impetus.

 

p.s. My second pre-scheduled post. I am probably sitting on a deck looking at the bay, unable to text..  Delightful.

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Day 183 – Blender

Blender

Osterizer 8 Speed / 8 Vitesses Blender. Chop. Grate. Grind. Stir. Purée. Mix. Blend. Ice Crush.

This finally gave up the ghost a couple of weeks ago – a gassy/oily smell came off it when blending, like the motor is burning out. It was originally a hand-me down, and then the glass jar part got replaced at a church bazaar sale a few years ago.

Blender

The blender was invented in 1922 by Stephen J. Poplawski. I am much indebted to him.

Blender

Status: Recycle recyclable parts. Feed leftover bits to sea monster.

Kill-ratio: 19: 3 / ~6:1

Alt-Title: Untitled Blender No. 183 For a Frozen Margarita

Recipe: My favourite use of this blender was not for margarita’s but smoothies.

Mango-Tangerine Banana Smoothie:

1 cup coconut milk
1 banana
1 mango
1 small tangerine (or 1/2 glass of o.j.)
1 tbsp flax seed oil
1/2 cup yogurt

Blend on “Blend” button. I wonder how many settings will be on our next blender.

p.s. I’ve been on vacation since Saturday. As of tomorrow I will have spotty internet access. I’m going to pre-blog/schedule a few posts (to keep up this daily thing as much as I can!) and then take it from there. I will catch up with your blogs sooner rather than later I hope.

The usual thanks to Richard and John for inspiring this Alt Title obsession. And to Ben for the “jokes” format.

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Day 182 – Photo Album

Photo Album.

It is apropos that I am away visiting family as I bring this  beauty out for review. The nostalgia of the photo album. Possibly the most obsolete item in the bunch.

Photo Album

Photo Album

Status: Scan? All the declutter books advise to scan old photo albums, first weeding out photos that make you sad or angry or upset. I’m not sure I have the heart to toss this beauty though. The yellow is delicious.

Kill-ratio: 28:3 / ~9:1

Alt-title: Untitled Album No. 182 for Storing Memories

 

The usual thanks to Richard and John for inspiring this Alt Title tomfoolery. And to Ben for the “jokes” format.

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Day 181 – Coin Collection Book

Miscellaneous collection of coins in Canada Coin Book.

Almost all Canadian coins, mainly silver, mainly quarters, the odd 50 cents or dollar.

Rather a neglected collection.

Coin Holder

Status: Find out value. Sell if above face value.

Kill-ratio: 18:2 / 9:1

Alt-Title: Untitled Book of Coins No. 181 for a Canadian Collector.

p.s. I am posting this from the Calgary airport, en route to the other side of the country, which takes a beastly amount of time (the journey, not the post). I hope to keep this up on a daily basis,  and keep reading other’s posts, the only obstacle may be poor internet access. Oh, and a wave of laziness may overtake me as well.

The usual thanks to Richard and John for inspiring this Alt Title venture. And toBen for the “jokes” format.

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Day 179 – Cable Part

UHF/VFH Matching Transformer.

Now I know that Day 108’s Cable Is a Matching Transformer, Not a Matchine Transformer. This little guy is a humble leftover part.

I’ve already expressed all there is to say about the loss of the analog signal on Cable Drawing #114. All there is to add is that it is now August 2012, and the venerable but aging CBC has only 29 days left to broadcast analog over-the-air signals.

Status: So small, yet perhaps ideal as a tentacle for the sea monster. Will she come into being before the end of the summer? Alas, I fear she needs until the end of the Fall. She prefers the cooler weather.

Kill-ratio: 12:2 / 6:1

Alt-title: Untitled Cable Part. 179 For A Perishing Signal.

Fare thee well over-the-air analog.

Although not technically a cable drawing, I will still give a shout out to Ann for originally encouraging the cable drawing series. And, as usual thanks to Richard and John for inspiring this Alt Title obsession. Read John’s post about titles for the initial impetus. This Alt-title is more a wistful one than a joke, but nonethless a wee merci to Ben for the “jokes” format.

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Day 156 – Viking Jr. Hanson Scale

Viking Jr Scale

Viking Jr. Hanson Scale. Not legal in trade.

Garage sale find. Currently hanging in the kitchen holding up one of those old fashioned wire egg baskets. No eggs are nearby.

 

Viking Jr Weight Scale

Weight Scale

Status: Borrowed from Mr. OP’s treasures, so no action on my part. I don’t mind the current use, as long as no one loses an eye.

Kill-ratio: 38:4 or ~9:1

Alt Title: Untitled Ode to A Hook No. 156

[Alt Title’s inspired by Leonard Cohen]

Like a bird on the wire,
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
Like a worm on a hook,
Like a knight from some old fashioned book
I have saved all my ribbons for thee.
If I, if I have been unkind,
I hope that you can just let it go by.
If I, if I have been untrue
I hope you know it was never to you.

see yesterday’s post for Alt Title reasoning.

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Day 140 – Blue Hawaii Musical Movement

Musical Movement

Musical Movement that plays Blue Hawaii. Garage sale find.

This one winds well, but plays a touch slowly – it doesn’t matter how much you wind it.
Not really sure how old it is, might not be truly vintage, the dust and rust just might be influencing my perception.

Musical Movement

 

There are five of these sweet wind up mechanisms that I’m borrowing from Mr. OP. I am going to “cheat” and make this a series of one post per movement, as they are quite unique.

Status: Not mine to decide. I would suggest they make a feature appearance in the Letterpress stop-motion animation which really, will get done (someday, somewhere over the rainbow….) I’m packing a lot of plans into this summer.

Kill-ratio: 28:2. 14:1

Untitled Alternative: Untitled Symphony No 140 in Blue.

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Day 134 – Swiza Clock

Swiza Clock. ~ 1 1/2 x 2 1/4 ”

A lovely, delicate object I found stuffed in a small drawer (ever searching for things for Obso and also de-cluttering in the process).
Belongs to Mr. OP. It needs repair. It shouts for repair. I bet it has a great sound. The type of ticking that could keep you in a good work rhythm.

Swiza clock

Status: Not mine to decide. I would suggest fix and use in the stuffice.

Kill-ratio: 29: 2 or ~14:1

This object makes me wistful so can’t think of any Untitled jokes or limericks.

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Untitled 119 – Clip on Earrings

Clip on Earrings.

Clip-on earrings were apparently invented in the 1930s and ruled until the 1970s, when pierced earrings made a comeback. I also found out, aspiring fashionista that I am, that clip-ons are now so out they are in again. But who knows where the pendulum has swung since my source is from 2008?

For costume jewellery these have a pretty decent faceting on the green bits, to my untrained eye. I’ve worn these a few times. Not in a long time. I had them repaired once and there they have sat since.

Pirates wore pierced earrings.

“Did pirates wear earrings?
….Yes. It was believed that piercing the ears with such precious metals as silver and gold improved one’s eyesight.” imponderables.

Clip on Earrings

Status:  Wear. Especially at Mad Men party. I can see the gesture of taking them off very clearly in my mind’s eye.

Then get that loupe out and see if any marks can be discovered. Maybe these are worth something? Hope springs eternal.

Kill-ratio: 33:2 ~17.1

Variation on Title: Day 119 – Clip-on Earrings

Untitled Joke of the Day: “Hey Untitled No. 4 Did You See My Earrings Anywhere? You Know the Ones With the …”

For what this  Untitled Nonsense  is all about see Day 118, which will refer you to all sources.
 

p.s. That powder at the bottom is from the compact. I shot these the same day and somehow it felt apropos.

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Day 118 – Untitled Cassette Tapes

Cassette Tapes.

These are not just your ordinary leftover cassette tapes with mixed music on them that missed the numerous decluttering sweeps that have occurred here in Obso land. Nope, they fall into the “Art” category.

I did this project where I interviewed a bunch of people I knew and asked them some secrets. I promised I would never play the audio.
I do still have the tapes and here they are, possibly demagnetized or whatever fate befalls old cassettes.

Cassette Tapes

Status: Unwind (carefully with gloves and mask – because I did that once before and found out it it’s bad for you) and photograph heaps of tape. Possibly feed to sea monster. Secrets are up her alley.

Kill-ratio: 27 to 2 or ~14:1

Variation(s) on Titles:  Untitled No. 118 Cassette Tapes.

Untitled Joke of the Day: “Untitled No. 18, Why Don’t We Have A Pool Like The Untitleds Next Door?”

Refer to Day 117 and Day 116 for this titling thing and more jokes. And, of course, The Future is Papier Mache and  notes to the milkman  are to be thanked for this latest fixation. And so is A Year of Living Sober, for his joke format.

 

 

p.p.s. OT Mini Karma Update – I also found 3 cassette tapes that did in fact have mixed music on them. They are now recycled and trashed. Phew.

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Day 115 – Egg Beaters

Egg Beater

Rotary Egg Beaters.

Willis Johnson patented an improved egg beater in 1884. The BBC says he invented the egg beater, but about.com says he improved upon it. He was black. I would like to know if his children and grandchildren, and great grandchildren, and great-great children enjoyed the benefits of his patent. Or maybe he didn’t have kids. There isn’t an abundance of information on his personal life. I gave up after the first few pages of results though.

 

Egg Beater

Status: Keep. This particular object has been used in a photographic series I did in 2010, “Butterine” and may yet expand upon. Find out more about Willis Johnson.

Kill-ratio: My notes are at the stuffice. So guessing 18:1

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Day 110 – Art CDs

7 CDs of art projects.  All super cool projects. Unfortunately, all unreadable. I have more than 7, but they are hidden amidst those other highly desirable objects (cds).

Either these cds were burned specifically to a system format (like OS 9!) or the software platform they rely upon to launch doesn’t exist or who knows what other ghost in the machine reason.

I remember hearing arguments about “new media” about how all the work would quickly look out-dated because of their reliance on the technology, which was in its nascent state. We didn’t think that they might be obsolete before they would get a chance to look that old.

Art Cds

Status: Keep for posterity’s sake.

Kill-ratio: 61: 2 ~ 30:1

Red Square May 22

en solidarité avec les étudiants/es du Québec

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Day 104 – Sony Walkman Sports

Sony Walkman

Sony Walkman SPORTS WM-AF54 Radio Cassette Player. Purchased ~1993 on sale. It was already a bit of a dinosaur by then.

It pains me to add the tag vintage to this, but there it is. 1993 is vintage. At least I think so, not sure who is determining what gets to belong in, and where, on the vintage / antique spectrum. And of course there’s the whole vintage refers to wine debate, but I’m not worried about that one.

There’s no question this little object, cute as it is and still vibrantly so sunshiney I feel cheerful,  is obsolete. It also works and if I cared to look, I would find there are cassettes floating about that could be played. They just haven’t been.

 

Sony Walkman

I’ll mention the “Retropod” project again (also referred to in Day 29’s Sony Walkman post)  which was shut down by Sony. It’s a shame they shut it down.

Status: The sea monster has her talons set to learn how to open the thing. Luckily the manual is online.

Manual Illustration

 

Sony Illo

Kill ratio: 38: 3 or 13:1 ( not counting the manual)

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Day 96 – Bacon’s Reversible Map No. 1

Bacon's Map

Bacon’s Reversible Maps.  Price 6 ? Nett. Any Londoner’s out there who can tell me what the two symbols beside the 6 mean?
All the ones of these I can find for sale seem to say 1949, so I assume that’s the date, but most curiously have no images, so I can’t quite confirm. Searching is a fickle monster.

This is printed on “strong cloth-centred paper” – hence how well it has held up over the years and how sturdy it is. I was attracted by it’s colour, at the same antiques flea-market that lured me into getting Day 65’s Oh! How I  Love You! Postcard and Day 64’s photo of a Captain on board a ship.

It shows, amongst the usual suspects, “Index to Racecourses and Greyhound Tracks”, which kinda makes me want to go to London more than ever, to see those tracks.

Actual paper maps are certainly being superseded (apparently not spelled with a c”)  by the gps ones on smartphones, car devices etc. Although extremely useful, I myself frequently resort to my iPhone to know where I am, there’s no romance in them is there.

This map oozes romance.

Bacon's Map Flat

Status: An unwavering keep. It’s been sitting neglected in a drawer since I bought it. The task  now will be where and how to display.

Kill-ratio: Higher than yesterday. 56:3 or ~19:1

 

 

RIP Maurice Sendak
(thanks Richard for the indirect reminder – I tweeted yesterday but it’s nice to have it more permanently recorded)

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Day 82 – Bates Standard Staples

Box of 5,000 Bates Standard Staples. About 4,200 staples left. Calculations based upon number of rows and columns and guesstimating the bits and pieces that are on top.

I’ve got two other boxes of 5,000 staples. This is the oldest, not sure of its origin.

Staples are very useful little things. Quite wasteful too. Here’s a graph of their imagined use since say 2002: it probably amounts to something like  180, 160, 150, 140, 120, 85, 80, 60, 40, 30, 10. With peak use at tax time.

 

Graph of Staples Used

 

Bates Staples

That’s the thing about paper, if you don’t print it out, it doesn’t need to be collated, stapled or filed.

Bates STaples

Status: I like the bluish-green colour on the box. Seeing as I have two other boxes, keep this one and donate the rest.

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Day 59 – Black Cat Virginia Cigarette Tin

Black Cat Virginia Cigarettes Tin, Made in Canada

There are a few nearly identical, but not Made in Canada (!), such tins on eBay now, going for about $10. With the black marker/paint that is scratched out on this one, I doubt it is worth much. It does still retain a certain panache – the paper label with “50 Cigarettes” is what gives it that element for me.

It’s empty, yet it does shout out to be filled.

Black Cat Box

Status: Find 50 matching things to place in this box. Then place in time machine with a health warning.

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Day 40 – Dalton Adding Machine

Dalton Adding, Listing and Calculating Machine. c. 1910 Truly Antique.

Purchased from a garage sale. Mainly for the keys I think. “The Dalton adding-listing machine was the first of its type to use only ten keys – first 10-key add-lister.” From  Vintage Calculators . This is a heavy beast. You get a workout lifting it around. Right now it sits at the bottom of the linen closet.

keys

 

Status: It has a future purpose (not jewelry) so it won’t be heaved. Estimated heave-ho date: June. Not too far away really.

p.s. I posted this from home w/ my iPhone, so no neutral background for this puppy. Reserve the right to re-shoot.

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Day 28 – Kodak Instamatic X-15

Kodak Instamatic X-15, Made in Canada c. 1971

I say circa 1971 because these were made between 1970 and 1976, but apparently the Kodak logo changed in 1972 and this is the earlier logo. I bought it at a Sally Ann, or similar type store for a few bucks.
It doesn’t weigh very much. They used 126 cartridge film, which is truly obsolete, or at least sold out on the frugal photographer. Of course, since Kodak filed for bankruptcy on January 19, 2012 the whole kit and caboodle is obsolete.

I like the compact design and the blue. Keep, if only to appreciate the concept of the instamatic.

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Day 22 – Mamiya C33

Mamiya C33 Professional Twin Lens Reflex Camera. Made in Japan.

I love this camera. It weighs a lot. Must be a few pounds. It is sturdy. And, apparently is one of the few 6x6cm format twin-lens reflex camera that has the interchangable lens system.  I don’t have the extra lenses. It has 105mm ones. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work. There is something stuck somewhere – it’s mechanical and could be fixed of course. I took it to a pro camera shop a few years ago and at the time it seemed too expensive to fix. For a while I kept the 120 rolls of film in my fridge ready to use.

It was a gift from a friend who lives in Germany and when she moved back home she gave it to me. I’m pretty sure she had it as a gift too. So it was technically a re-gift.

Keep, with hopes of it being fixed in the not too distant future.

mamiya

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Day 20 – Zippo Lighter

Zippo Lighter – Sankey-Sheldon. Made by Zippo Canada, Niagara Falls, Ontario. Patended 1950.

Yes, I used to smoke. But I never used this lighter. It’s either a gift of sorts from a relative (prior to when I was “old enough” to smoke) or a flea market item. Not sure why I can’t remember it’s origin more precisely. Smoking must have killed off a few brain cells.
I love the wear and tear on this. If such a material – stainless steel (?) – could be said to have patina, this lighter has it. Somebody must have smoked a few cigarettes with it. I picture them really taking their time, lingering over the moment, savouring each puff.

I did make the effort a few years ago to research zippo lighters and see if it was worth selling. There was a British company called Sankey-Sheldon that made steel products. Currently there are over 14,000 results for zippo lighter on eBay. Pretty stiff competition. Now that I’ve photographed it, I would like to take more. The inner bits, the bottom, and with it lit up. Then it can go.

zippo

On a side note, this particular photo shoot made me think I need a macro lens. Need or want is debatable of course.

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Day 5 – Revere 16

By it’s name, Revere 16 MAG, this must be a 16mm camera. I’ve never tried shooting with it. My dear friend asked me to store it for him when he moved to L.A. That was 12 years ago. Over the years he has visited, and I’ve almost returned it twice. It just didn’t work out. So it sits awaiting pickup. It was his grandfather’s. I would like to see the movies he shot.

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Day 1- Light Meter

Light Meter I bought at a garage sale a few years ago. Love the leather case. I did use a light meter like this when I first went to art school.

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