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Altman's


chuck909

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I'll be in Chicago next week for a little culture at the Lyric. But I never can go to that city without remembering the most impressive thing about Chicago - Altman's Camera. Four floors of everything a photographer ever dreamed about. If they didn't have it - well, they had everything. It's been a long time since they closed, sort of like the Dodgers moving to LA. Anyone else remember that store? Must be a few here.
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Oh yeah! There was also a shop in Oak Park - 2 floors. Today Central Camera is left, Tamarkin for Leica lovers. I don't know if it is still in existence, but there was a camera repair company called "International Camera", I think, in a nondescript building on Wabash which sold CLA'd cameras as well. Great memories.
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I am in Milwaukee and drove down to Altman's a couple of times per year. I could spend hours just walking around that place looking at all of the equipment I could not afford. There are only 1 or 2 camera stores left in Milwaukee now. I was in Shanghai last year and found a camera mall that reminded me of Altman's. It consisted of two 6 story buildings that sold nothing but photo equipment. They had new and used stuff. They had stuff that I have read about but have never seen in person. It was also the only place I was able to find that still sold film. If anyone ever gets to Shanghai it is well worth seeing. It is located on Luban Road and is very close to the subway.
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The first time I visited Altman's was in the fall of 1964. I didn't know it at the time, but they had just opened in the N Wabash location earlier that year. It wasn't obvious because it liike like it had been then for 100 years, floor to ceiling shelves, cluttered counters and boxes of odds and ends at fire sale prices. I arrived from the other side of the state by Greyhound bus early in the morning, for the purpose of buying a 35 mm lens for my new Leica. At home, anything Leica was a rarity or special order, and I wanted to put my hands on one before laying down the cash. That was a big deal for a college kid surrounded by corn fields. I ultimately moved to and worked in the Chicago area, but only visited Altman's a couple more times, not even noticing when they closed. When you're that young, everything looks old and destined to last forever. Carpe diem!
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As a child growing up, camera stores, music stores and magic stores represented Nervana for me. A dragon lives forever but not so little boys, Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys, One grey night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more, And puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.
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Central Camera seems to be still going at 230 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago (LINK)

 

They are very helpful when you ask, don't bother you if you're just browsing, and they seem to have a lot of old new-in-box gear. Wonderful place

I'll be there this weekend for sure along with Anderson's Pen, The Chophouse, Italian Village, and the Lyric - as long as the train stay on the tracks.

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Thanks to all for the tip about Central Camera. For next to forever I have been trying to find a spot screen for my Canon F1. I tried all the usual suspects, but no luck. So I walked into the VERY friendly Central Camera this week end and told the man behind the counter of my impossible quest. He didn't laugh, just pulled out a box of various accessories for the old and New F1. Al little digging and there it was, a SE focusing screen. Good thing I didn't have a huge bankroll as I could have stayed in Chicago's film Valhalla forever. So many goodies.
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