Department Store Photographer

<p>Hello,<br>

I am a photographer and I also own a motion picture prop house and we are working on a film right now that takes place in the late 1940's and we need to know what kind of camera a department store photographer would use in the late 1940's at a department store such as Capwell's in Oakland, CA. I have many cameras in my inventory but I have no research showing a department store photographer in the late 1940's. <br>

Any help with this would be awesome.<br>

Thanks so much,<br>

Monty</p>

<p>Most department stores used 4x5 cameras for most things right up until digital took over. The Crown Graphic was a pretty prominent camera from the 30's up into the 50's, but I wouldn't doubt that a more technical view camera might have been employed for stills. Hasselblads weren't made until 1941 and with the war, I wonder if they would have been found as widely used in the 40's as later on. I wouldn't bet against the Crown Graphic being used for fashion or the same technical type 4x5 that would have been used on still objects.</p>

<p>An early Linhof Technika perhaps? Maybe a Rolleiflex TLR?</p>

<p>Sheet film cameras were popular for on-demand studios because you could process individual images rather than waiting until a whole roll was completed.</p>

<p>I think one of the Graphics, perhaps the Pacemaker, would be acceptable since they were widely used by news photographers of that era, so the cameras, accessories, and film were all readily available. I think the Crown came out in the 1950s.</p>

<p>More info at www.graflex.org</p>

<p>- Leigh</p>

<p>I would concur on the Graphic. A portrait photographer in my small town used one until she retired in 2005.</p>

<p>At a big department store they probably used a Deardorff, quite possibly an 8 x10 or 5x7 instead of a 4x5 format camera ( the larger film makes for easier hand retouching of the negative) and not a Speedgraphic. See http://deardorffcameras.0catch.com/ for details.</p>

 

<p>Show him holding an Exakta VX-500 at arms' length and staring at the back as if it had a digital display there, and be sure to include the loud "click-WHIRRRR!" of a motordrive. Don't have the photographer use the wind lever, either. Nobody will notice except the people on this forum, and you'll still be in the upper 5% percentile of accuracy in depicting cameras/photographers in movies and TV.<br>

JUST KIDDING !! The Exakta VX-500 dates from the '60's!!</p>

<p>It seems to me many pro's at that era were shooting Graflex R.B. Super D either in 4 X 5 format or 2 1/4 X 3 1/4 for portraits especially children.</p>

<p>While a Kine-Exakta would be just barely possible ca. 1936 ;) , the very strong likelihood would be a "press camera" like one of the Graflexes, or perhaps a Burke and James.</p>

<p>Might be a smaller-than-4x5 format, but more likely the 4x5 with sheet holders for the reason given and the possibility of doing contact prints on the spot for things like the Easter Bunny/Santa pictures.</p>

<p>For an in-store portrait service, maybe more likely a view camera.</p>

<p>Montgomery,</p>

<p>You might want to look for a Brand Model 17 4x5 rail camera. It was made by the Brand Camera Company in Los Angeles from late 40s to early 50s. <br>

I missed purchasing one recently that came in a box marked "Property of Montgomery Wards", plus a set of old strobes. It was a handsome beast made of some alloy body and red bellows.<br>

That's as close enough evidence as I can offer. <br>

But any of the above Graflex press or rail cameras mentioned above would suffice.</p>

<p>Burke & James, 4x5 or 8x10, with slides to shoot several portraits per sheet or whole sheet as required (or reducing backs). For the reasons given, ease of retouching and contact printing. Look for a retouching table while you're at it, there were some cool vibrating ones to make the job easier.</p>

<p>The Kodak 8x10 Century Studio camera on a Centennial or similar stand was the mainstay of portrait studios for the first half of the 20th century, and were produced until 1940 by Folmer Schwing department of Eastman Kodak. So a 1940 studio could have had a brand new one!. If it was a studio set up in a department store it would surely have had a View camera such as this. There were other brands also. They also used constant lighting, not strobes or flash. They were wired through a foot switch near the camera to turn on and off. A standard type lighting setup, front right and left and a barn-door hair light would be in order with a variety of painted canvas backdrops..<br>

<strong>P.S. They would never have used a press camera in a studio.</strong></p>

<blockquote>

<p>They would never have used a press camera in a studio</p>

</blockquote>

<p>True enough, but a "department store photographer" even then, was not necessarily only a "studio photographer". Way back when, even then, there were thematic set ups for holidays, especially Easter. In such situations, the "press" cameras offered relative easy set up and picture taking for the same reasons they worked in journalism.</p>

<p>If it was an event type setup, not a studio in the store, it was likely an independent photographer that came in for the shoot. In that case all bets are off. They used whatever they had. For long lines of little kids sitting on Santa's lap, a 70mm long roll cmaera was often used and a claim ticket with your frame number was handed to you. These were the same guys that came to the school and photographed your kids once a year.</p>

<p>I agree that the photographer used whatever he had. You would be perfectly fine with a Speed or Crown Graphic (they are essentially the same in appearance) or any model of view camera. Cliff's description of the lighting is also key. Electronic flash existed then but was not widespread, so constant lights were the norm in the studio. Also beware that shooting with a press camera or view camera involves removing/replacing the dark slide with each shot, flipping or replacing the film holder, etc. You can't have them just going click, click, click like with other cameras.</p>

<p>Thanks so much everyone, this is great information. I really appreciate it.</p>