our fall auction Nov 22, 2026

Posted on October 22, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. Fresh from the fair in October, we host our annual fall auction in just a month on November 22nd.

Please contact Clint at auction@phsc.ca for any details or to have items added to this or a later auction. Free parking; free admission; good food and beverage; and a chance to both meet fellow collectors and augment your collection. What aa wonderful way to spend a November afternoon!

As we receive photos of the lots and the lot list, we will post them on this site in a later auction post.

join us on Sunday, November 22nd, 2026

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spooky stuff …

Posted on October 31, 2026 by Robert

ready for Halloween 2015 …

Toronto. Tonight is Halloween when we take a short break to go trick or treating in the neighbourhood… Dust off your costume and stroll the neighbourhood with us.

Meantime, once the kids have done their teeth and hit the sack, dreaming of ghosts and goblins (and treats), think about our coming auction on November 22nd.

Imagine the fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and even add to your fine collection of photographica. Or your user gear. Or your knowledge of photo history. Free parking; free admission; great food and beverages available; friendly staff, Meet old friends etc. Just enjoy this late November afternoon!

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as easy as A…B…C…

Posted on October 30, 2026 by Robert

A sample lot from a 2019 auction.

Toronto. …A for Auction, B for successful Bid, C for Collect the bid – and bingo! your collection has added interest and charm.

Each fall, we wrap up our annual events with the fall auction – this year on November 22nd at Legion Hall #101.

Come out and enhance your collection/user gear/photo knowledge. As usual, parking and admission are free. There will be great food and beverage available. Our poster is pinned to this site now and we will post the lot images and lot list as soon as they are ready.

Browse the lots in the post and in person; meet old friends. Enjoy a fine November outing!

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60…, 60…, do I hear 70 ….

Posted on October 29, 2026 by Robert

a nifty Nikon from an earlier auction

Toronto. …. is a familiar cadence to auction fans. And speaking of auctions, our final event for the 2026 season is our popular fall auction on November 22nd at Legion Hall #101.

Join us and see what you can add to your collection and knowledge of photo history!

Free admission; free parking; easy access; great food; and a friendly bunch of fellow enthusiasts – what a wonderful way to enjoy a late fall outing.

Details are shown on the above link, copied here for your convenience. Once again we plan to write a post with a lot slide show and lot list as soon as they are received.

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cannon shots

Posted on October 27, 2026 by Robert

a Canon portrait ready to be taken

Toronto. It is popular to trademark common words with unconventional spellings – Like  ‘Canon’ for ‘cannon’. Many photo fans recognize Canon cameras as potentially elite tools of the trade – but Canon also makes and sells other items like medical instruments.

At left an elderly gentleman is about to have his ‘portrait’ taken with a Canon instrument which will  record his ‘inner man’ for posterity.

The Canon instrument does a ‘CT scan‘ in just a few minutes, with the images combined by computer and shown on a monitor. While this very recent (c2026) shot above/ left is much much too recent to be a collectible, old medical photographs can be a great subset of any collection.

Note that our final 2026 event is our fall auction. Here we offer many items of interest. Come out November 22nd and see what you can spot to add to your own collection.  Lot photos and a list will be posted here when they become available.

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i hear you auction …

Posted on October 25, 2026 by Robert

item in fall 2018 auction – lens, shutter, bulb, hose

Toronto. Wow! we barely have time (our president, that is) before we hold our fall auction (the last 2026 event).

A number of items are already here and will be photographed shortly by Clint or one of the other PHSC members who assist us as we ready the lots for this November’s session.

At left is a typical lot in an earlier auction. In this case a lens and shutter with a release hose and bulb well over a century old from the fall 2018 auction.

NB: this post title is a riff on the 1970s song “I hear you knocking“. Sung here by Dave Edmunds.

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family gathering

Posted on October 20, 2026 by Robert

a family gathering captured on Kodachrome in 1958. Note the amazing height of the sunflowers …

Toronto. Well, we hope you enjoyed our fall fair event last Sunday. Up next for this year’s PHSC  events is our fall auction. A poster and lot photos will be posted to this site shortly.

The auctions we hold are great opportunities to add to photographic collections. For example, old photos, perhaps of  family gatherings like the gathering illustrated at left by a Kodachrome slide some sixty or more years old (a bit too new to be a collectible, but getting there).

Our fall auction will be November 22 this year at the Legion Hall #101 in the southwest of Toronto (our usual auction location with easy access, free parking, and great food along with a real chance to expand your collection!

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blood brothers

Posted on October 19, 2026 by Robert

Blood Brothers – Tintype by Horst

Toronto. Horst Herget is an experienced tintype photographer. He was a speaker at our Toronto meeting a decade ago on September 2016. Horst just announced a tintype pop-up this month:

“I’m delighted to announce a Tintype Pop-up at Blood Brothers Brewing on October 23rd/24th (Friday/Saturday).

“165 Geary Avenue
“12 PM to 8 PM both days

“These pop-ups are always popular. Book a session at WetplatebyHorst.

“Hope to see you there.”

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what’s a Tropical TECO?

Posted on October 18, 2026 by Robert

a beautiful tropical model of a TECO box camera

Toronto. Glad you asked! It is one of the unusual (and rare) cameras offered today at our Fall Fair by Les Jones. It was once sold by  store and catalogue here in Canada by Eaton’s, now long gone ( folded the end of 1999) but still familiar for the Eaton Centre at Yonge and Dundas on what once was the firm’s flag ship store.

Seriously, ‘tropical’ camera models were made of materials intended to resist damage in hot, humid environments like the tropics.

It was (and still is) popular for large companies to ‘private brand’ products made by others. Sometimes the private brand versions had different options and sometimes not. Typical of companies who sold private brand goods was the late T. Eaton Company, famous for its large catalogue of household goods and its flag ship Toronto Store.

Eaton’s had stores in many Canadian cities and even a catalogue ordering service in smaller communities. The department store and catalogue colossus was our version of the mighty American Sears outfit in Chicago – known up here as Simpson-Sears in the early mid last century when it bought out  the Robert Simpson company, a main competitor  of Eaton’s. It later slunk back home to Chicago and Eaton’s failed under their 3rd generation control.

All that is history as they say. The beautiful little TECO box camera is just one of the offerings at our fair today. Come out and enjoy the sunny day; meet old friends; add to your collection/user gear and expand your knowledge of photo history!

PS: The good food mentioned in earlier posts will unfortunately not be offered this year. Apologies to all.

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did ja here about …

Posted on October 17, 2026 by Robert

stereo, anyone? a c1901 plate Stereo Solograph camera

Toronto. …the guy who bought a Stereo Solograph camera at our fair on Sunday (tomorrow)? He found it at Les Jones’ table and snapped it up. The camera was made and sold by Anthony over a century ago. Anthony, later merged with another early American firm to form Anthony and Scoville, the precursor name for the Ansco line.

Instagram (click on the icon at lower right under the Social Media banner), says, “Get ready for incredible vintage finds at the PHSC Fall Camera Fair on Sunday, October 18!

“Vendor, and one of the PHSC’s former Presidents, Les Jones is bringing a treasure trove of rare and unique gear that’s ready for new homes at great prices.

“Highlights include:

• Ultra-rare classic cameras: 1880s Photosphere, Nicnon & Taxco binocular cameras, ‘speckled’ Coronet 3D, Expo Watch camera, and a 1892 miniature Kombi.

• Collector favorites: Mint Clarus, Alpa Prisma Reflex, Tropical TECO, Miranda S, and a Long Focus Premo.

• Sharp vintage glass: Angenieux 75mm f3.5, Old Delft 180mm f4.5, Voigtländer Heliar 135mm f3.5, and more.”

What can I add to the above? Each year we host events that offer collectors a choice of interesting and novel pieces of photographica. This Sunday, October 18th,  is our popular Fall Fair. Held at the Trident Hall, there is free parking, low admission fee, and good food. Plus the ability to add to your collection; knowledge of our favourite art form, photography; and meet and greet old friends.

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