Journal

Where the objects on our shelves came from, told properly. And notes on how to buy one and keep it working.

Rolleiflex 3.5F twin-lens reflex camera in black, seen from the front with the viewing hood closed, Planar 75mm f/3.5 taking lens below the viewing lens
Vivian Maier's Rolleiflex, and the rolls she never developed
A nanny with a Rolleiflex at her chest, a box of negatives sold at auction in 2007, and 2,000 rolls of film she never developed. Read more...
Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera, the folding instant camera introduced in 1972
Polaroid SX-70: the folding camera and the 10,000 tulips
A folding camera, a print that developed in daylight, and ten thousand tulips flown in because the film was not quite ready. Read more...
Three closed metal roller shutters in a row on a plain building front
Contax: why the Zeiss camera brand ended in 2005
Zeiss lenses, a Porsche-styled SLR, a titanium compact and a digital first. Then, on April 12, 2005, a statement of a few paragraphs. Read more...
Distant view of the Gemini-Titan 3 rocket lifting off from Cape Kennedy, 23 March 1965
The Speedmaster, and the eleven tests NASA set
Eleven tests written for spacecraft hardware, three chronographs, and one survivor that was on sale in ordinary shops. Read more...