My Parents, Europe, 1957, Tower Rangefinder, Kodachrome

<p>My parents went to post-war Europe before we kids came along. My dad took a Tower Rangefinder with a 50mm f/2.8 Steinheil Munchen Cassar S lens. Slides were Kodachrome. Exposure was sunny 16. I guess my dad was a pretty good photographer back in the day. "I thought a lot about how I was taking those pictures," he said.</p>

<p>The results speak for themselves for photographic technique, subject matter, periodicity and technology. Enjoy!</p>

<p>Parents<br>

<img src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/t31.0-8/12339520_10203996229901054_345014235307592506_o.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1335" /><img src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpl1/t31.0-8/12365953_10203996257021732_3049915872305203221_o.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1335" /><img src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/t31.0-8/12375332_10203996225660948_6598869716759688124_o.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1516" /><img src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t31.0-8/12370899_10203996224780926_821260813160625116_o.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1335" /><img src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/12345517_10203996226260963_7533991105673124817_n.jpg?oh=2fbee3343a687fb6d7600e6e11b8e107&oe=5714C26E" alt="" width="726" height="960" /><img src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t31.0-8/12363096_10203996227460993_4362491310698417706_o.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1237" /><img src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xla1/v/t1.0-9/12376278_10203996227580996_5840731208665587441_n.jpg?oh=a6b71b4813e5e0e9097c90547c6097ec&oe=56DF0C80" alt="" width="960" height="925" /><img src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/t31.0-8/s2048x2048/12068671_10203996229461043_2257700428959902746_o.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="668" /><img src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/t31.0-8/12366108_10203996231661098_3186307107789878381_o.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1338" /><img src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t31.0-8/12366076_10203996222140860_7878613086833615349_o.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1335" /><img src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/12345585_10203996231101084_7853318626023794117_n.jpg?oh=6921ff1719a9d9d5e06d3ff548811962&oe=56D631CF" alt="" width="888" height="960" /><img src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t31.0-8/12357206_10203996222820877_5225808245278091371_o.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1335" /><img src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/12360345_10203996227741000_6094473218765565652_n.jpg?oh=f19e6d5ba21af77ab539963f2da73556&oe=57177F24" alt="" width="718" height="960" /><img src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/t31.0-8/s2048x2048/12374824_10203996256341715_4678113398876669684_o.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="851" /></p>

<p><img src="https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/t31.0-8/12339520_10203996229901054_345014235307592506_o.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p> </p>

<p>OBTW - The Tower still works. I've run film through it, and all the speeds function. While the lens is coated, it flares easily. The rangefinder is quite small. But it's a great heirloom. </p>

<p>I have temporarily made this a Public Album on Facebook if you wish to see the pictures larger, and with some more shots, here:</p>

<p>https://www.facebook.com/becloven/media_set?set=a.10203996241101334&type=3&pnref=story</p>

<p>I wonder where the shot of the valley with the waterfall was taken. I almost looked for "half-dome."</p>

<p>Lauterbrunnen, perhaps: http://cdn4.vtourist.com/19/4230862-Lauterbrunnen_Valley_Lauterbrunnen.jpg</p>

<p>Brad - very nice. The Towers were made by Nicca, as I recall, and pretty good cameras. I remember in the 1980s working across the street from a family owned camera store which sold mostly medium format and Leica equipment...the Towers, Niccas, and Leotaxes were put in a cardboard box on the counter and sold for peanuts, while the Leicas were in glass showcases - if I had only grabbed a few of the Japanese bodies at those ridiculous prices. Youxin Ye does a good job of CLAing the Japanese bodies when & if you think you may need it. I know nothing about your father's lens, but loving Kodachrome, I put the picture of your mother and father in my p/p program, adjusted the levels and did some sharpening, and got a good look at what that lens could do...and I would say, if you put a hood on it, you definitely have a winner combo. Hopefully you will enjoy using it as much as your father did. Thanks for sharing.</p>

<p>Lovely pictures. Thank you for showing them. Certainly was so different in those times ; not necessarily in place, but certainly in feeling.</p>

<p>Really nice. It is amazing how quaint those European scenes look today. Europe is not really like that any more. A very good effort by your father.</p>

<p>I like to think that the images I capture are for now and forever, but who knows how long they will really be around. I love it when fine pictures like your fathers' make it to even just one more generation. Thanks for sharing. What an amazing view back in time to a world that was so real.</p>

<p>Beautiful photographs. Quite a trip your parents made! I seem to recognize scenes from the Balcans, France, Southern Germany/Austria, Scotland. And as I am Dutch, I'm fairly sure the pictures 6, 7 and 9 are Dutch scenes. The ones with the women and children are probably taken in the village of Bunschoten/Spakenburg by the look of people's clothing. The litte harbour in nr 9 could be Spakenburg's fishing port.</p>

<p>Your father knew his craft. My father had the same camera and I used it for a while thirty years ago. I liked it and came away with an appreciation for rangefinders that continues today.</p>

<p>Awesome Brad !<br>

Moments in history/time, <strong>frozen</strong> by a simple combo (Camera, lens & film).<br>

I too would also be very proud of his images...</p>

<p>Lovely pictures! capture the ambiance of the period. The colors still remain vivid. Thanks for the post. sp.</p>

<p>Nice shots. Your parents look like a couple of movie stars-- hope you inherited their good looks.</p>

For a while now I have posted Kodachrome slides that I found from the 40s and 50s. I know what they mean to you and

I also see a great treasure in them. If you have more, I look forward to seeing them. Anything like that and just plain

snapshots from others to me is a greatly under appreciated segment of photography.

<p>Great collection, <strong>Brad</strong>; your father certainly had a great eye for a picture, and these images have survived remarkable well. At least you're following in his footsteps....Thanks for a really entertaining post.</p>

<p>Those are nice shots, and not to detract any from the photographer, who did well, that old Kodachrome certainly delivered.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Wow, these really are great...I'm glad that you have shared them with us. Kodachrome really does last well, and I still have a lot of pictures of my childhood in perfect condition.<br>

Ps, you never mentioned that your dad was Elvis :)</p>

<p>This is the type of stuff I'd expect to see in a national geographic- extremely nice pictures.</p>

<p>What a wonderful set of photographs. I really like the pan shot of the man in green crossing the street. Everything else in the shot has the motion blur. Beautiful. A few years back, a customer whose mail I delivered to showed me a Tower 3 rangefinder with a Nikkor F2/50 on it. It had a dent in the filter ring which I showed him how to fix. He was kind enough to let me run a roll of film through it. It did well, but nothing I did approached what you posted here. Thank you.</p>

<p>Tower was a Sears brand. So many Towers; some made in Japan, some Germany and probably elsewhere. In this case it was most likely made by Kamerawerke Wilhelm Witt in Germany. Possible models: Tower 51 = Iloca Rapid-B. Sears Tower 52 = Iloca Rapid-II (same as Argus V-100).<br>

Nice photos that prove that a Steinheil Cassar S lens can be quite capable.<br>

Here's a link to the possible Iloca (hope I'm not breaking rules by listing it):<br>

http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00Y3ar</p>

<p>All: Thanks, folks. I'll pass along the compliments to my Dad when I talk to him next. He'll never see your responses; I doubt he's ever used a computer.</p>

<p>Allard: Thanks for the information about the location of the Dutch scenes.</p>

<p>Dave: I inherited their brains (happily), not their looks (sadly). </p>

<p>Tony: I do sing, so maybe Elvis was, ah, "inspirational" somehow.</p>

<p>Gary: It's a Tower 51, "= Iloca Rapid-B."</p>

<p> </p>

<p><strong>Brad</strong>, what a wonderful set of photographs! The color is still vivid and beautiful, and it's quite apparent that your father knew what he was doing when using his camera. Thank you very much for sharing these!</p>

<p>What a great group of photos from their trip. I am glad you still have the camera.</p>

<p>Here is a listing of the Tower 51 from a 1958 Sears photographic catalog. It is also shown in the 1957 catalog but I think this one has a better picture of the camera details.</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

Wow .. What a great post! I really thought Spence said it well this was on level with NG work to some

extent! My father shot a similar vintage Tower ( maybe the same) and also often shot Kodachrome and

Ektachrome. I love the color of your results. I viewed my Dads stuff with the projector some years ago and

came away with ..wow!! But color slides enlarged like this are killer!! Kudos to your father for his great

work.