Iconic designs

[nels]

I only heard about Wagner when someone pointed out that the sequence of music I liked from "Apocalypse Now" was his.

 

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning. Smells like...victory."

[kevin m.]

You're half right, Nels. Sometimes the greatest hits are all that's worth having; I briefly

owned an album titled "Deep Purple with the London Philharmonic." Yikes. At least I know

where the writers of "Spinal Tap" got their ideas. ;-)

 

OTOH, there are many, many gems that never make it as hits at all, never mind "greatest."

[simonpg]

Roger, you saved me from forgetting about my parents' wonderful Teasmade - still working today. In second hand stores here they bring over AU$300 in working order. What a joy to wake up to a perfectly brewed cup of tea!

 

I enjoyed reading everyone's posts last night and one automobile seems to have missed a mention: the Porsche 356 - any of the A, B or Cs can still provide lovely reliable driving today.

 

Of course the Tivoli is not truly iconic but certainly seems well on the way to becoming an icon.

 

Is the roladex an icon?

 

In the clocks department the Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos must be an icon - ?

[jimsimmons]

I like my icons skewed just a tad to the side: Gretsch Country Gentleman, Karmann Ghia, Lee Boot Jeans (talk to a real cowboy), Stereo Realist, Gameboy w/Tetris cartridge, Oreos (do they translate internationally?).

[zave_shapiro]

If you've ever flagged a taxi, driven a taxi, seen a picture of taxis then there's the 1983 Diplomat with slant (sorry-SUPER) six. My home-from-home, my office, my playground. Ubiquitous because they deserved to be.

 

Fender Telecaster. How many Tele players does it take to change a light bulb? None! We ain't afraid of the dark.

[simonpg]

I should add that it has occurred to me since I posted that 120 roll film must be an iconic product - certainly an enduring one at that, despite the digi "revolution" (it's hard to see 120 roll film under too much threat when even the entry level cost of MF digi backs is a quantum of money few can afford to part with).

 

But 120 roll film does not share that other critical icon attribute of being exclusively associated with any one brand or organisation - all the same IMHO it is iconic. On that note is 120 Velvia iconic?

 

Hence, I feel sure the huge number of Zeiss Ikonta and Zeiss Super Ikonta camera variants must surely be iconic. Even today the simplest and most battle scarred versions can produce quality images - I know because I use mine (6x4.5, 6x6, 6x9) regularly.

 

Then there are the "Bulls Eye", the Citroen-like Vitessa, Contessa and the Prominent.

 

And what about that marvellous moving image format - 16mm - surely the Bolex is iconic due to that beautiful Swiss craftmanship. I aspire to one day being able to wander through a tourist boulevard with a treasured Bolex filming away while rotating lenses as I go. Such a more pleasing fealing than some tiny minature electronic battery thirsty plastic min-monster in the palm of my hand... oh, and the projected images....wow!

 

Finally, Roger must not feel a need to defend his lovely thread (I'm sure he does not need my encouragement either!) - great fun had by all especially those who are not so precious as to take themselves or life in general too seriously.

[nzdavid]

Phew, there's some light reading for you! I shall digest it at my leisure, having arrived on

my Vespa! Le Corbusier recliner... bottle of Heineken...but are there any iconic products

being made NOW, or are they all classics from days of yore?

[watts]

A couple more that I don't think have been mentioned yet: the original Sony Walkman and the

Dyson vacuum cleaner.

[fotografz]

"It's ideal for use with a Leica, and Leica owned the Tiltall company for a time. It is still

available new, at $99.95 plus tax in the USA and about GBP 63.00 in the UK ".

 

Hardly the same tripod other than looking like the original. Cheap pig iron head that snaps in

half with the ease of breaking a pretzel in half.

 

I still have my Leitz Tiltall purchased used 35 years ago. It's been all over the world with me

and I used it with a 500c for a number of years. Still use it. Have a matching Leitz MonoPod

also still in use.

[uk]

Imacon scanner

 

Ebony 45SU

 

Bang & Olufsen 9000 music centre

 

BMW horizontal twin motor cycle engine

 

Gary

[stefan_fielding_isaacs]

I cannot believe that no one has even mentioned Snap-On tools. At least here in the States there are no better hand tools. Of course, they may fail the test of being well-recognized by the hoi polloi.

 

cheers, Stefan

[len_smith]

Ah yes, Snap-On Tools.

 

They are the tools that gradually turn the average mechanic into an average mechanic with a large collection of extremely expensive tools ...

 

... just like an average photographer buying Leica tools. ;-)