Some prints that have circulated in Leica Circle 6

This week I am publishing s few of the prints I have circulated as a change from endless equipment reviews. Brief details are added. Regular visitors to these pages will know that the Bag of members prints circulates about six times a year and each of the members awards a mark. The annual winner gets....nothing much at all....beyond the satisfaction of winning and a printed certificate. There was a time when an engraved lens cap was awarded. now a small shield is given  at our Annual Exhibition.

Sadly we have been forced to suspend circulation due to the present Virus with, at present, no news of when it may be safe to resume. However this may remind members of what we got up to in the past!

Some of these earlier prints have already appeared in the Blog in the past.These will receive attention in a 'copy and paste' exercise required to make a printed book copy for my own use. I have already had one made as a form of proof copy and it is painfully clear that some references to past events and timetables should be deleted before I go to the expense of a 'Coffee Table' edition!

Kilcott-Spring 2019. The South Cotswolds

Leica 111G. Summicron. Rollei 25.

Damme, Belgium from Church Tower.

Ilford Delta 100 Leica M2/ Summicron

in Perceptol 1:3

Early Morning in the Plaza, Salamanca, Spain

Ilford Delta 100 in Perceptol 1:3

Leica M2 Summicron.

Strangely similar,these two scenes were taken 900 miles apart and  separated by several years. The upper photo was in Mahon,Menorca, on the steps of the Carmelite Market. The lower photo was taken at The Horse Hospital,Camden lock,London.Both Leica grab shots.

Rayher against the light in Hyde Park, London, taken on the spur of the moment when visiting the Serpentine Gallery. Leica SL (Film)

on t-Max 400  in  D-76 .with 50mm Summicron.

Taken at Gortmore on the Bishop's Road, Gortmore,Downhill,in Northern Ireland.Leica r4s on Rollei RPX 25 in FX-39. The distant horizontal line is Loch Foyle-The estuary of the Foyle.

The restored Clevedon Pier in Somerset, the only Grade 1 listed Pier in England. As with most of the Severn Estuary the tide runs far out to reveal the beach as in my shot. Leica M2 with 35mm lens on T-Max 400

The terrace adjoining The Church of Saint Eulalia at Alior,Menorca.

Leica R4s on Rollei 25 in FX-39 and Summicron 50mm

SANTA SANTA 

A must have for the film user

Today's musings revolve around the last edition of the Morgan and Morgan Leica Manual. This arrived in the early 1970's as the 15th edition of a series dating back to 1935. Most readers will be aware of the early editions, heavily US orientated, and, towards the post-war era, containing a few surgical photographs we could well do without !  Willard D. Morgan, a founder of the series passed away in 1967 but this edition is a worthy tribute to his Leica work.

Despite a marketing effort to regard the book as a continuation of the 14 editions that went before the 15th is a huge book with colour -or color-used and fresh contributions throughout. The previous editions we getting a bit like the Encyclopedia Britannica with really little need to buy more than one edition!

In 1973 we are in the age of the SL reflex and the M5 both of which appear in detail. However, it is in the processing and photojournalist contributions that the book excels. I have long been a fan of Bill Pierce whose work is represented as are many others in the World  of Film based Black and White. The book is often available at Camera Fairs and bookshops at modest prices but I believe it was never reprinted and we shall not see it's like again.

 

Leica in the time of Virus

As I am classed as 'vulnerable'and(confined to barracks until the expiry of 12 weeks from a vague date in the middle of April) not much has happened on the Leica front. I feel I have exhausted the possibilities within walking distance of home despite entering a print of my lounge window in an interesting shadow in the latest Annual Exhibition -yet to be judged as another result of the lock down.

So, competitors have many boxes of prints lying in Oxford and were forced to cancel the 'Annual' scheduled for the end of April. Simply remaining healthy is sufficient reward and this is not intended to be a moaning column.

Taking a strictly positive view there are a few Leica-related activities available down here, if only putting all the Leica books on one shelf! Rather preferable to taking table top pictures of men made from pipe cleaners which featured in the thin magazines of 1939-1945.

On the subject of Leica literature I have put together a few examples of what is available, some of which may be unknown to those coming to Leica film work at a recent point.

For upwards of 85 years the collection of complete sets of the magazines associated with our favourite brand has been a 'must' for club members. This probably started with the Leica News and Technique issued by the company at Mortimer Street in the 1930's
This ceased (suddenly) in 1939 on the outbreak of War. I think I have the full set which is of historical interest but for me does bear the heavy touch of Factory Issue publicity. I believe it could be obtained free in UK by owners of a camera willing to register their camera at the company, which rather depended on how it was acquired or imported! I know of one that was imported,part assembled over several trips abroad and reassembled here.

Often assembled in specially embossed spring covers these do give a slice of history. My picture shows the binder, a separate copy and a contemporary 31/4" slide made for lecture purposes.

When the Second World War was over it took some years to see the emergence of Leica Fotografie from the German publishing house,Umschau Verlag, of Frankfurt.These were first

published in German only and soon acquired an English translation on 'Onion skin' paper that over the years becomes attached to the prints if not kept perfectly dry.Roughly the same size as our pre-war magazine these are probably the best known Leica Magazine which remained in issue until the 1990's before more glossy and larger issues took over. This series is the 'classic' issue which almost all members seem to have in an complete set either bound or loose. I must admit I have both!

The content is a rich source of knowledge for anyone whose interest lies in film and an endless source of Winter reading. Published about six times a year there were some 240 issues in all which make quite a dent in the book shelves but is well worth having. Do check the language first as they exist in English,French and German.

The last Magazine I want to include today is little known in UK but well worth snapping up if one finds any copies.Like the German version this one is called Leica Photography, with US/English spelling. Again issued free to owners I have the earlier issues bound and later ones loose. The format is larger than the European and their sources are World Wide rather than a Central European flavour seen elsewhere. Each edition had a 'Gravure' section for optimum presentation of B/W work.However the very best is the technical data relating to many highly collectable products sold in small numbers that are hardly mentioned in detail in Europe. It may help to know that there were either three or four issues each year.The content includes products by Leitz NY. Happy Hunting.

Second thoughts on the Focomat v35 and the Dunco enlarger

In common with many colour enlargers my new acquisition was disposed of at a modest price (if collected!) which situation has been brought about by the decline in RA4 processing. These machines can be used for black and white film printing on the Yellow and Magenta filters and, thus far, the outline of this Blog will be all too well known to Darkroom workers.

The enlarger I have bought to add to the collection is a Dunco 66-11
which covers up to 6x6 film but is fitted with a filter head for Ilford Multigrade B&W work. This is provided on the same basis as the variety of well known but little seen heads for the Focomat v35. However, on close examination the heads bear a similarity to those for the Leica v35, they employ the same family of filter values, out of the three possible standards, and best of all on this machine the lamp holder simply lifts out for replacement of the bulb. A similar, or possibly the same, appears in the Paterson 67 Pro enlarger- a short lived branding in the UK with both Colour and Mono filters in the same head.

In my acquisition the lamp installation slides upwards, complete, in the manner of older Leica projectors giving easy access to the 12volt 75watt reflector bulb. This bulb is, in this instance still a Philips 6604, housed in a huge finned heat sink which I think must be a part of the Dunco 100 watt range, this is a guess but the v35 has a heat sink of similar size. No use is made of any locating features on the bulb rim.  I have in mind other heads using the same bulb with no cooling other than by convection but these heat sinks seem to be required owing to the compact arrangement of both enlargers mentioned.

The latest hot issue in Multigrade enlarging is the arrival of Ilford-Harman MG in its latest version, No. 5, I've not tested or seen any yet but given the wide range of settings possible on the Dunco head I guess it may be accommodated which brings me to the three controls available on the head.

Unlike the often seen modern colour enlarger with three colour filters we have a rather different three options.

An illustration is provided below, but to explain, the controls are firstly a scale of Multigrade settings scaled from 0 to 5, this is on the right. On the left are two settings. The upper knob introduces what looks like a plain solid 'filter' that acts as a neutral density control scaled 0 to 60. The lower control is marked 'filter on /off' and acts as an instant white light control - only it doesn't - as the unit leaves a pale yellow filter in place at all times and I can only guess that this has been found necessary to help get the soft grades and match the filters used to Multigrade requirements. (More on this subject in the excellent Ilford Data sheet 'Technical Information Contrast Control') Moreover, Ilford detail the use of a Y filter with Aristo Cold Cathode heads and compare results with Tungsten light sources BUT the Dunco we are looking at today uses a Quartz lamp in a reflector which may be the real reason for the yellow base setting. In my own use of an Aristo head the need for a basic yellow came up and was solved by purchase of the last type of head with the Aristo v54 phosphors.

Any user without the film carrier of choice may wish to know that a Philips carrier would fit with a little adjustment and is very similar to the original.

Another thought regarding the Yellow filter is that combined with the latest MG paper large adjustment of exposure for grade changes may be avoided- a small bonus.


What advantage does this machine have over the Focomat? Well, very little difference in practice but the choice of a 6x6 negative from time to time, and, for me at least the better placed range of filters as my Focomat v35 only has the Colour settings and a B&W set just never seems to come on the market. Costwise there is no comparison with the Dunco costing 10% of the Leica machine. Despite this the Dunco has a Heiland split grade head available and so joins a select few! Further reports of the Dunco in use may follow!

If anyone has a copy of the Manufacturers booklet then I should be pleased to copy and return this.I am in some doubt as to the reflector angle specified.

A special day at Duke Street

In a bit of, not very modest, self promotion I am showing a photograph I took with the Leica SL (Digital) on loan from Leica at the new Duke Street, London, shop and Gallery. This facility was made available on the now almost annual visit of the Society for updating on new products and a general get-together, with lunch. O for an enlarger and the chance of trimming out the lamp post,or more!  However,it seemed to be overlooked in the judging and I was delighted with second place.

Following Lunch we were able to select a current Leica Digital and lens for a hour or so exploration of the area which produced a wide range of results on the subject of Street Photography suggested by the then current exhibition of the work of Joel Meyerowitz.

I chose the SL with the Summilux f1.4 ASPH and adapter as being nearest in feel to the SLR I often use with film. I am glad to say that the camera was perfectly capable of operation without the vast range of options available to an advanced owner. Beyond insertion of a disc and setting on 400 ASA for the dull afternoon nothing was necessary.

This meeting coincided with the release of our President's new book - Behind the Lens - My Life by David Suchet, who was present.

I am greatly enjoying the copy I later received as a Christmas present.A fuller review will follow.

Thanks are due yet again to our Chairman, Tony Cole, for his good work in the organisation behind this day and to Leica for the generous support they give. In particular thanks to our hosts,Jason Heward, Robin Sinha and David Slater of Leica for all they contributed.

A Cry for help

Can any of our readers identify the camera which was intended to fit the underwater camera housing shown below? I have seen the 'R.G.Lewis' invention of the post war period but from memory it is not one of those. Next Choice would be a EWA 'Hass' housing but again I cannot locate a picture and most cameras associated with Hans and Lotte Hass were Rolleiflex models.This housing has two glass ports which suggest a 35mm reflex was intended and a plastic holder for what may well have been an electronic flash marked Aquasnap. Any help appreciated via 'comments' on this site or the email on the Home page.

'Russian' Enlarger design updated

The title of this Blog has caused some thought today as it is all too common to use the words 'Soviet' 'Russian' and various combinations of CCCP and USSR when making reference to the makers of these enlargers. It is difficult to be precise about the present subject as the literature originated from Ukraine and I have never seen the actual enlarger concerned.

It would appear that the history of amateur Enlargers, from what I will call Russia, is well known  following the immense popularity of  Zenith and similar products in the period roughly 1960-2000 when quality 35mm film  cameras were both sought after and expensive in UK.  A gap in the market was identified and filled with the arrival of a compact enlarger which packed into a suitcase and is well represented on Ebay to this day.  I shall not dwell on this particular machine except to say that it provided a very adequate introduction to enlarging for many.   It was followed by a streamlined version that should have been even more attractive but the days of the enlarger were numbered with the arrival of Digital cameras.

Never available in this country was an even later development which is  interesting in that it appears to draw on the design and appearance of the Leitz/Leica v35,   the last enlarger offered by Wetzlar.

I can only suggest that any reader who can correct what I write about the FOMO enlarger sends me either a email (see header page) or a message in the comment section and I shall do my best to correct things. The FOMO is an attractive machine in the same shape as the Leica v35 and working with a single spring arm and I suspect auto focusing cam. The precise lens employed is unclear but the light source is a small mains bulb of the type seen on earlier designs. The base board and column are much updated but lighting is by double condensers rather than the diffusion system.

I think it best that I show some illustrations from the handbook I have recently obtained, dated Feb. 1985,  leaflet printed in 1984.

Needless to say I should be interested to hear from anyone who uses one of these machines, in particular to learn what lens was used as I have a number of the later lenses which have become available on the market.

Sommor Sommor

An earlier Blog shows a negative holder with a Leitz-like name which emerged in the 1930's and 1940's. In the event this was a French product quite well made but probably introduced when the real thing was unavailable. Another product of those days has come to light in the Sommor loader for 10m of bulk film(say six loads) and a bakelite 'Bobineuse' which holds the cassette in a light tight trap for loading. This is a smaller proposition than any other device to load from bulk film and is is surprising that so few remain in existence.

The Way We Were- LPP in the 1960's

A member of long standing recently gave me the mark card shown below from some old papers being cleared out. This may stir a few memories among members.

Antique Grain Focussing Magnifier

No doubt this item is in common use in darkrooms across the country but I have never found found one myself.  Pre-War may be a better term than Antique but the magnifier is uncoated and the general build rather  heavier than one has come to expect.  I normally use a French Scoponet which I have shown for comparison.  As received the older item had a damaged mirror.  This raised the question of how to make a new mirror, preferably a surface mirror although I suspect that some on the market are not of that type.  I found a IKEA mirror for pocket use with the surface deposited on plastic sheet thin enough to cut with a craft knife.  I am unable to say how the mirror is coated but above all it works without a double image and gives accurate results.  I feel the oversize mirror helps in use and brightness is no problem. In case you wonder the cross hairs are located in the tube below the eyepiece.

New York filter holder for the Focomat

One small issue with the Focomat enlarger is the use of the ubiquitous Ilford  VC filters mounted on plastic holders. Use of below lens filters has led to several 'fixes' but Leitz N.Y. produced a fine holder that takes Ilford holders and , by the way,  also fitted a ready made Red filter with a small handle produced for the Graflex 66. This example arrived without the mounting screw which is longer than the short thread used to hold a Leitz red filter. The rather large head left on the fitting made an easy job of mounting by hand but it can be slimmed down to a screw head if wished.
Many thanks indeed to the doner in The Netherlands and to my good friend at Cheltenham for the mounting screw.

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NOT a Focomat-what next?

Regular readers - Yes, both of you, will know that this Blog has relied heavily on the enlarger products of E. Leitz over the period 1927 to about 1990. The peak of production in terms of reliability and operation was reached with the last Focomat 1c shortly to be followed by the innovative v35 which marked the end of the line. Over the years there have been many autofocus enlargers and, interesting to note, the auto focus design was well developed by others in pre war days. One important point being that the enlarger was only truly 'auto' when used with the original factory issue lens for which it had been adjusted. Any other lens would require a touch of  manual checking before printing. In practice many users would complete a series of prints before changing size and so any lens of the nominal focal length could be employed.The Focomat achieved this by use of a superb brass helical screw.

With this in mind I was interested in a very inexpensive used enlarger acquired in recent days. This is an Italian product - but not a Durst. The name is the Aurigon Automatico from IFF Turin which is an incredibly heavy machine of 1970's design based on the general layout of the Focomat.The late Barry Thornton had one in his Darkroom but suffered the same lack of original lens as mine does. We have all seen Leitz substitutes and blatant copies which rely on a supply of steel bar stock to achieve a autofocus machine and two at least appeared in the UK after the war. The Aurigon takes this to extremes with vast solid arms for a 35mm machine.  I have managed to get back to more or less original functions with either a Leitz Focotar LFE or a late Componar -S 2.8/50. The whole cries out solidity and stability and will form an interesting addition to the stable of machines here.The base board has a  magnetic surface but I have not used this at present. Optical system is a clear condenser with a 75 watt bulb being adequate. The carrier is well made and opens when still in place to allow insertion or movement of film.

Autofocus operates via a cam in the Leitz manner but can be disengaged to allow manual focus through a vernier scale. A bellows is used as shown in the pictures, but no helical focus- probably one of the most costly parts of a Focomat to produce.An interesting touch is a sliding red filter which opens rather like a drawer above the lens safe from damage.

More Mirfield

Previous Blogs have mentioned the Mirfield award which goes to the top score in each of the Leica  Print Circles on an Annual basis, presented at the Annual Meetings. In recent years this has been a certificate-and the satisfaction- only. I am glad to say that a small token award is now being made to winners. This practice reverts to spirit of the original scheme where an engraved lens cap was given. (See the earlier Blog with a photo of that won by T.C. March).

For a time a small engraved shield was given and I have one here awarded to Mrs M.Sheppard of Circle 11 in 1995. Margaret and her husband were members of the Society for many years and are still active in Leica Photography in the world of Bromoil and PCCGB. I do like the engraved image of the little man with a camera first seen in the 1930's.This is the 1995 award in Circle 11:

Also recently come into my hands are two engraved caps, In this case I have been unable to trace original holder and so have obscured the name .................................

NOT a Leitz code word.

Today we are 59 years after the introduction of Leitz Code Numbers for their multitude of products, rather than the code words which had been composed for the 1920's until 1960.  Despite the lapse of time it is common to hear the alphabetic word quoted rather than the number throughout the Leica World.  It would make a quite separate Blog to give all the odd quirks of the code word system, the New York additions and the (slightly) amusing rhyming poetry that resulted.

In my early days as a Leica user I bought a venerable Focomat 1 from Cheltenham Cameras which came with a strange spring loaded negative carrier that worked well and raised little attention until I noticed that it was made in France- which made me do some research.  Of course you will by now have noted that the name SUMMOR, although similar to a code word, is not from the Leitz stable. Frankly,  I wondered if I might have a 'Monte en Sarre' product and was disappointed to learn that this was one of several utility domestic products of France which immediately followed the Second World War. These were advertised widely in the UK Amateur press as were French cameras which seem to have been only available for a short time. Another product of similar name was a plastic cassette loader and small bulk magazine both of which have turned up in this country in recent years.  A later Blog may deal with them.

The negative holder I have illustrated came in a hammered gloss black finish which had almost entirely worn through. It has been resprayed in matt black( baked on my oil cooker) on the exterior but the interior and film channel is pristine, save for some poor chromium on the spring plates. The unit is about 8mm in thickness and will fit all the German Focomat enlargers that I have handled, both I and Ic but not the FILOY which has a narrow aperture for glass plates. It will fit the Focomat machines even with a anti-newton plate in place. In case anyone wonders the chrome plates are located well below the black aluminium surface of the exterior. Stange to say,

the SUMMOR can, at a pinch also fit the v35!

Unusual Leica Enlarger accessory-two turn up at once!

One of the more unusual Leica accessories associated with the Enlarger range is the light cover for 32 mm columns which appears to have surfaced under the retail code of  YOOSV added to VIWOO which is the '40 inch' upright. This part is in the 1936 General Catalogue on page 78  by which date the Focomat was on the market. I am unable to trace any mention in the 1933 edition.

I suggest that the listing of such an item may well follow the experience of early users of the enlarger range who found that reflections from a polished enlarger column were printing into their results. We all know that this can be an issue with many makes of enlarger. Chrome is probably the worst choice of finish here. I have mentioned in past Blogs that a finish with black satin aerosol spray paint can be very long lasting and hide the chrome effectively. It can also be removed if wished.

I find I have two of these items illustrated below and had doubts as to their authenticity until I found the reference in the Catalogue. Despite their age of 80 or so years the black felt and spring steel still works well. I have been unable to trace a similar item for the 40 mm column and of course the guide rail on the Valoy 11 prohibits such a fitting. A small but interesting part of Leitz history.

Early Leitz enlarger surfaces alive and (fairly) well

Regular readers will know of my interest in enlargers which goes back a long way and often threatens to overtake my ability as a black and white printer.  Long watching of the well known auction site has provided some odd machines but this week I acquired a Leitz enlarger that predates the Valoy and seems to date to 1927.  Not the first 35mm vertical enlarger from Wetzlar but I think, a  FILOY of the the smaller type with a variable iris f3.5 lens scaled in numerical values.  This lens is located in a sliding mount of exquisite smoothness which almost makes one wonder why the expensive and complex helical thread ever saw light. On checking the mount for wear and tear I found it unworn with no need for any lubricant and bright plating evident.

The lens is intended to remain fixed but had to be detached to fully clean both sides. The outside surfaces as received, were dirty and gentle attack with a cotton bud damp with lighter fluid had no effect at all.  As a last resort a bud with tap water was tried which made the lens as good as new or at least as good as any Elmar type at 90 years old.  It was just good old dust and nothing worse The Iris is smooth and multi bladed with a circular aperture. Having done this clean up, I produced a bright, sharp image of the frame on the base board rather than the foggy patch I started with. Turning to the bulb as supplied, was a 75 watt 210 volt Siemens opal bulb of a great age, the original had a smaller 60 watt bulb which I do have in stock.  I suspect the 75 watt large bulb was a help in getting even illumination as the 'reflector' is matt black and the bulb holder cannot be adjusted.

Clues as to the model name are provided by the type of electrical connection and this one has no connection via the column, which is a simple and logical method.  The later, more complex, internal systems are certainly stylish but can give some problems in maintenance.  The second distinct feature of this model is the negative carrier, which was missing! but is in fact a hinged glass carrier made of two glass plates with a flexible material joining the glasses.  The image size is determined by a cut out below the condenser so there is no need to make a mask but a card or red plastic foil will help prevent Newtons rings. I made my carrier out of two Durst AUDA 70 AN glasses but glass of good quality, perhaps in NEWLO finish, is not hard to find. Another source is old coated photo plates from which the coating can be removed with hot water. Needless to say the edges of all should be smoothed off or taped for safety of hands and film

Greatest problem so far has been the column which is of the 32mm size as expected for the time. The corrosion was unsightly rather than a real problem but I have have a bright, longer, column of the same size from a Valoy that I thought of using. In fact I could go up to the optional extra of a 1000mm column but problems arise from the intrusion of this into the projected frame. Column reflection can be an issue and a Leitz felt shield was available,which I have, but is not shown. I may settle for a coat of matt car spray paint on the original column which I have applied in other cases. This can be readily removed if a chance of re-plating at a reasonable price comes along.

One amusing oddity about this model is that the magic dimple that locates the upper and lower sections of the lamp house is found at the back of the lamp house rather than in plain view at the front! The lamp house is much smaller than that adopted for years of Valoy and Focomat machines that were to follow and the dimple is in the fixed lower half so that there is no doubt which way round is intended. The interior of the lamp house is matt black.

The wooden baseboard has posed rather a problem in that a thin plywood board was supplied with the machine. Obviously not original, this was removed and replaced with an early Focomat type from the 32mm column days, retaining the original column until some suitable timber is available.

I found that identification was aided by the illustrations in 'Leica Handbook' (Fritz Vith) Pub. Technisch-Padagogischer Wetzlar 1933 and the detailed history given by Dennis Laney in Leica Collectors Guide, 2nd Edition, Hove 2004. Strange to quote from the earlier book but it is quite often found in English in Leica Circles.

Now, the long awaited photographs of the enlarger -results from using the machine will follow.

The First Camera of Christmas

Previous ramblings ( blog Passim) have dealt with the wealth of Leica related merchandise available at this time of year. Well, the first spotted this year is the Primark tree decoration illustrated below.  It has taken almost 100 years for the Leica to become the automatic first choice of design guide whenever a camera has to be reproduced -  and this one has several features that are probably protected by Wetzlar patents!  Available now at Primark-  £1.99. Get yours now.

Rara Avis - The Focomat 1b in captivity

 A Focomat 1b has emerged available on Ebay. It is most unusual to see one of these enlargers on offer in the UK and it would be interesting to learn how it came to the UK at a time when imports were  restricted. In fact I have never seen one on Ebay in many years of Leica enthusiasm.

The machine is covered in detail in my Blog of 23rd September 2017, but only by use of magazine reviews and advertisements of the immediate post war period. Now, by the kindness of a UK photographer, I am able to show a few detailed shots of the machine now on sale. For greater quality try Flicker which reveals all the series.

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS IN THIS POSTING BY KINDNESS AND PERMISSION OF MARTIN LANGFORD.

Yet another Book Review. James Ravilious.

It would appear that only books I like -a lot- are reviewed here, but I hasten to say that there is no trade influence in my choice of reading.  If I waste some valuable time reading a book I do not like then it will not appear here and may well appear in the local paper recycling.

This is a book I have long awaited , the Author spoke at a Leica gathering a year or two ago and her subject is one of  the most interesting photographers of the last century in British Leica circles, linked as he is with the great Edwin Smith and being the son of Eric Ravilious. To me as a collector of  The Saturday Book, Leica cameras,  Photographic work of Edwin Smith, and the writing of Olive Cooke it is a 'must have' It is a bit early in this Blog for references but a superb background of the times, and far better than I can attempt, is at  http://the-golden-fleece.co.uk which provides a superb overview of the subjects early context.

For many years we have had  books of Devon photographs based upon the farms and farmers of this home area. They include some that have become world famous through postcards and greetings cards but real personal detail in a logical form has been lacking. This latest publication corrects that and coming as it does from his wife the source could hardly be more appropriate.

We are taken from the earliest days of James' memory of his father departing to Iceland, never to return, the loss of his mother at a young age, his own subsequent ill health, and his gentle approach to life and work. A vast talent cut short.

Title: James Ravilious  A Life.  By Robin Ravilious  Wilmington Square Books - An Imprint of Bitter Lemon Press. London 2017. ISBN 978-1-908524-942  248 pp. many monochrome illustrations and Index.

Further notes on the Focomat lamphouse

In a previous Blog- Wednesday 26th July 2017 titled 'Thoughts on the First VALOY enlarger' I wrote at some length on the need for electrical safety which seemed lacking in the early days.

I have now been able to disect a late Focomat lamphouse in detail. This is one of the last Colour models which had signs of the modern age with a magnification indicator lit from within by a gas filled bulb (of a type that has not been seen recently). I think a 'fridge LED will fit as long as the final figures are lit in red by a gel filter, but the gas bulb is still live.In fact there is little need for this in the intended Black and White use that I plan.

The lamphouse is of a degree of sophistication not seen in past Leitz heads. It can be taken apart by a series of fine screw threads and the three spring fittings that locate the bulb have captive springs and are a perfect and logical development of the past designs that had faults in the service department. The wiring is three core with a lead to an earth screw fitting within the lampholder. All the wiring seems to show a continuity of earth with a separate earth wire to the screw on the column. They have really tried on this one.

A Happy Christmas to all our Circle 6 friends and followers

Happy Christmas everybody!  As a special Christmas Day posting I have added a picture of the gift received from my son Rupert. who has made a tremendous selection of family themed decorated cookies for us.