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Post by philbirch on Oct 6, 2014 4:11:39 GMT -5
In this age of "cutting edge", "state of the art" daily new electronic miracles, for reliable permanency we revert to the wonderful old pencil. Mickey Yes and during the space race the Americans were experimenting with inks and compressed air ink delivery systems so their ballpoint pens would work in space while the Russians just used pencils. A no-brainer really.
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mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Oct 6, 2014 14:11:25 GMT -5
Phil,
The Americans are entrepreneures. The marketability of a product is always on their minds.
Now years after those space shots they are still selling Space Pens. By now their sales have probably paid for one of the space suits worn back then.
Make those space shots pay for themselves. While the US space programme may be defunct, people are still employed making those pens.
Highly admirable I think.
Mickey
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Post by philbirch on Oct 6, 2014 17:33:37 GMT -5
Phil, The Americans are entrepreneures. The marketability of a product is always on their minds. Now years after those space shots they are still selling Space Pens. By now their sales have probably paid for one of the space suits worn back then. Make those space shots pay for themselves. While the US space programme may be defunct, people are still employed making those pens. Highly admirable I think. Mickey I agree but marketability wasnt on their minds in the 60's. To clarify, the Fisher Space Pen wasn't actually developed by NASA, it was developed by the American Fisher company and NASA bought 400 of them for just a few dollars each. The Russians used pencils at first but later realised that the graphite 'lead' was hazardous in zero gravity as were the wood shavings. The Americans also used pencils but preferred to use propelling pencils, no wood or rubber, but the lead was still a problem. The Russians went on to grease pencils but eventually used ball points from the 70's onwards. I'm not sure whether they used Fishers or a copy but it was similar to the NASA models. I agree space spinoffs are big business and has had wider impact on our daily lives than people realise. NASA and its contractors hold patents for an unimaginable number of everyday things including mobility aids, foods, refrigeration systems, welding machines, eye surgery aids, composite manufacturing, safety features in aircraft, nanotubes, optical manufacturing, circuitboard making, architecture, water and waste treatments, MRI components, wireless sensors, gigapixel images and the list goes on. and on and on. But why anyone would want a pen that works in space for the office is beyond me.
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Post by genazzano on Oct 7, 2014 2:50:26 GMT -5
I was surprised one day to find that my mother had saved this photo from 1950. I clearly recall this because it was the very first time I had photographed anything. At 5 years old I had a hard time framing through the viewfinder of the Brownie box camera. An inauspicious beginning of my life with photography. David
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Post by philbirch on Oct 7, 2014 4:22:31 GMT -5
Great to see, David, photos were precious in the old days. Often the first thing people thought about if there was a house fire was the family album. I like the waist level view typical of the box cameras. And of a five year old!
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Post by genazzano on Oct 18, 2014 14:01:15 GMT -5
I just realized that I was really short at five. Somehow it is like looking through my own five year old eyes. G2G before I wax poetic.
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Post by genazzano on Oct 20, 2014 13:00:31 GMT -5
I found another old photo of the family. What is significant is the fact that it was the first roll of film that I ever developed. It was Christmas of 1954 and I received a Kodak developing kit complete with contact printer. David
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2014 12:14:26 GMT -5
My mom and me 1949. Dad and mom, just married, 1927. Dad operating a Linotype (typesetting machine) at his weekly newspaper, 1968. Our family. Photo I shot for Christmas card, 1979.
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Post by philbirch on Oct 21, 2014 17:21:02 GMT -5
Wayne, you havent changed a jot in those years. I thought the one of your dad was you. great pics. OK here I am aged 17, in 1974 from a very creased and flaky paper print. Taken on self timer with my Agfa Flexilette (the first camera in 'our cameras' thread) That is a Rigonda turntable, on the right, a Russian 'hi-fi' cost about £25, weighed in at 4kg and you needed a stack of pennies to balance the tone arm. Great days. here I am in the mid 80's, advertising my favourite brand of audio cassette. Oh, the glasses - I made them myself a copy of Ray Ban Aviators, but with Reactolite Rapide lenses. I enjoyed 'CHiPs' the American TV show and wanted to be just like Erik Estrada, this is as close as I could get. Pretty good I think. Taken in the mid 80's
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Post by genazzano on Oct 26, 2014 3:45:03 GMT -5
I have posted this many times but it still remains one of my favorite images of my daughter taken some 40 years ago. Shot with my old Pentax H1a using a normal f/2 Takumar lens and Tri-X 400. It was digitized using my D70 on a Nikon PB6 with a Tessar lens. David
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mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Nov 7, 2014 14:15:04 GMT -5
Me, a lifetime ago. 1951-2. It was a magical time. Part of Harbord Collegiate Orchestra. Mickey on extreme right with double bass. Our small dance band. We had a larger one. Me with my fiddle. Mickey
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Post by genazzano on Dec 24, 2014 10:24:23 GMT -5
Uncle Joe went into business hauling new cars shortly after WWII, Then his partner left town with all the money. Dear Uncle Joe. A good man. David
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Post by philbirch on Dec 25, 2014 6:05:36 GMT -5
Cars were stylish then even the trailer has smooth sexy lines!
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Stephen
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Post by Stephen on Dec 25, 2014 7:08:16 GMT -5
Over 60 years ago, taken with Kodak Brownie folder, which I still have......I do not have the Pram. Stephen
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Stephen
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Still collecting.......
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Post by Stephen on Dec 25, 2014 13:39:51 GMT -5
And taken, it appears, on the same day, a couple of details really date it, the boys from Tonbridge Public School playing Rugby in knee length black socks, and and two boys walking past in the field wearing Straw Boater Hats. The Boys only played Rugby in the Winter terms, and it is clear from the shadows there is no foliage on the trees, so winter period 1951.... Stephen.
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