Rare Ilford Witness – You’ll just have to see this…

by Posted in Camera Collecting, Thoughts Leave a comment

The title above relates to a post on Rangefinder Forum: Rare Ilford Witness – You’ll just have to see this…

It refers to an Ilford Witness camera that sold for US $18,262.96 with shipping costs of about $700.

Collectiblend (a site which provides values for vintage cameras provides the following estimates:

Average condition $3,200-3,400 body only; $11,500-$12000 with lens

Very good condition $4,000-4,600 body only; $16,000-17,000

Mint condition $7,500-8,000 body only; $25,000-26,000 with lens

They also provide examples of prior auction sales (the first three are from Westlicht and the fourth from Everard & Company Auction): 2014-03-25, “A-” Condition: $18,084; 2013-05-25, “B-” Condition: $18,576; 2012-11-24, “B-” Condition: $19,094; 2011-10-09, “B+” Condition: $13780.

Reading the thread what struck me was the overall tone: amusement, shock, incredulity as if the posters just could not believe the cost of this item. Yet from the information on Collectiblend it seems that this is not an aberration. This is what this camera, with this lens (and it seems as if the lens makes up the bulk of the value) goes for. It’s not as if this is the only camera that fetches large sums of money. Leica “null series” cameras typically fetch in the millions. Collectiblend estimates that a Nikon SP with lens will fetch between $5,600 and $14,000 depending on condition. Collictiblend also provides a list of the 100 most valuable cameras. None of them are below $60,000. Needless to say the Ilford doesn’t come close to making the list.

So are these cameras worth the money they command. To me they aren’t, but obviously they are to the people who buy them. Who knows maybe if I had the kind of money that would allow me to drop $60,000 plus on a camera I might buy one too. I just don’t understand the amusement, shock, incredulity etc. Maybe it’s because the Ilford is an interloper i.e. a valuable camera that isn’t a Leica? If I counted correctly Leicas make up 65 of the 100 most valuable cameras on Collectiblend’s lists.

A Couple of Snakes

by Posted in People, Wildlife & Animals Leave a comment
snakes-1

A couple of snakes have recently made their way into my life.

First, I was scanning some old negatives when I came across the picture above. It shows a younger me posing for the usual ‘cheesy’ tourist shot in a market outside of Bangkok, Thailand. I would guess that it was taken sometime in the early 2000s. The snake is, I believe a Python. It was heavy, very strong but not at all ‘slimy’ as I had expected. In retrospect I’m not sure it was such a good idea to put it around my neck. If it had decided to constrict I doubt that there was anything that I, or anyone else could have done about it. I can’t take any of the credit (or otherwise) for the picture as I clearly didn’t take it. It was taken with my camera though.

Then while walking the dog the other day I came across the snake in the picture below. I believe that there are three types of venomous snake in NY State: timber rattlesnake, the massasauga, and the copperhead. While I’m certainly no snake expert I didn’t think it was any of these (although there is a passing resemblance to a copperhead). I looked it up when I got home and I believe it’s an Eastern Milk Snake. Interestingly, when I stayed stationary (e.g. when I taking the picture) it would turn and start to move in my direction. When I moved, however, it would rapidly move away.

I wonder if I’ll come across any more in the near future? I could do without an encounter with any of the venomous snakes though.

snakes-2

Tuba Quintet

by Posted in Photographers, Photographs, Photography Leave a comment

New York circa 1915. “Police tuba players.” HALT OR WE’LL TOOT. 5×7 inch glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection.

About 45 years ago I was a semi-professional trumpet player. By semi-professional I mean that I was paid, but not an awful lot. It did give me an opportunity to travel around the UK quite a bit and to play in some nice venues (e.g. York Minister; the Royal Albert Hall). I thoroughly enjoyed it, but then real life crept in and I moved on to other things – specifically working with the United Nations for 38 years. I’ve always retained a love of brass instruments and music that features them so I was excited to come across the wonderful picture. Look at the expressions on their faces: the guy in the middle seems to really be enjoying himself; the one on the left looks as if he’s supervising; the one second from right looks as if he’s been told to pretend that he’s playing. I found myself wondering what they might be playing: maybe Berlioz March to the Scaffold arranged for five tubas as seen in this video (thus proving that tuba quintets do actually exist. If you ‘google’ ‘tube quintet’ a surprising amount comes up):

Source: Brass Coppers: 1915 | Shorpy Historic Picture Archive