Dhe difference between a collector and a photographer.
Back in the 1990s I belonged to a camera collectors club. We met once a month to have coffee and talk about serial numbers and obsolete roll film formats: Does it have the red dot, is it pre-war or marked “Occupied Japan” and so on. I learned a lot about photography too.
One of the members had such an extensive and eclectic collection that he added a second story to his garage and built a display room. Three walls had built-in display cases for his best items with cabinet space below for duplicate seconds (and thirds). All good stuff and lots of it.
The middle of the room was dominated by two classic studio cameras on stands . . .both were huge and complete, with lenses to match. My recollection is that they were both larger than 11x14, but the specifics are lost to me. Now, in my mind’s eye they look like the paired guns of Navarone . . .in golden brass and oak.
I was working in a hospital at the time doing Nuclear Medicine Imaging. I had access to sheet film in large sizes along with the automatic developing equipment and chemistry to match. The chemistry was compatable with Tri-X and I was running a few sheets of my own 8x10 once in a while. I thought it would be a great idea to expose a few sheets of MRI or CAT Scan film in these old studio cameras from time-to-time and anticipated developing the collaboratrion .
The project was proposed to him during a break at a club meeting and at first he didn’t get what I meant to do. I went through it again with cheerful enthusiasm and his eyes got wide, “You mean, TAKE PICTURES?” He darted his eyes around nervously. I pointed out that I would take care of the film and developing, that it would only be every few weeks or so, and what fun . . . He broke out in a cold sweat, turned and walked away. He never would talk about it with me again:
A true collector.
A sweet What-Might-Have-Been . . .Oh Well.
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