Tom,
Wow!! That sounds like the buy of the century. That is way cool!
Next time the Antiques Road Show's in Devon...
I'm so glad you shared that with the list.
thanks, frank
"The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears it is true." -J. Robert Oppenheimer
From: Tom Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: Pentaxdiscuss <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: OT, strange(longish) tale of eBay purchase Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 10:35:53 +0100 (BST)
I have been changing my photo kit since the arrival of the *istD, and thinking about how I might continue in film... I have always wanted to own a view camera to take a few Large Format B&Ws and there was this 5x7 on eBay and only �90, well one or two bids and it was mine. It arrived a few days later, and, as I unpacked it along with all the old film and dark-slides a small label fell out which read; "LOUIS KLEMANTASKI F.I.I.P. F.R.P.S." Well the web makes initial reseach quick and easy so I typed his name into Google.... A wealth of information followed. Pause here, do not do what I did, but ask yourself who was he? Don't know.. Well he seems to have been one of the foremost photographers of Motorsport in the 20th C. beginning his career in the 1930s and retiring in around '75. he also photographed many figures in the arts in the post war years including Stravinsky and Margot Fonteyn. Did this camera belong to him? I emailed the seller and, yes, he knew the camera belonged to "Klem" but had not bothered to find out about him. So curiosity being roused, it has cost me quite a bit more to obtain a copy of his auto-biography (huge book full of anecdotes, history and pictures) but this reveals a fascinating life and I haven't yet reached as far as the end of the 1930s..... All I feel is Wow, to own something that has been part of such a rich history. My friend, who deals in antiques, could not believe that the seller would not bother to mention the provenance in the hope of making more money.... Oh, and the camera, it's a Dutch made Monorail, all working, a full range of movements, could do with a bit of new felt around the back, otherwise ready to go.. Don't think I'll be carrying it toooooo far from the car though... Happy Wednesday from sunny Devon, Tom.
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