And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
I stopped at a Fotomat to see if my film had been developed. She said, "not yet". I said "It's OK. Someday, my prints will come". I could hear her laughing for a block.
Safeway still exists and the overall parent company is in fact one of the largest grocery chains in the country. Merged with Albertsons they now rival Kroger in size. I think WalMart is larger. I don't think any other chain approaches these 3 in any measure of size.
I remember paying some bucks for a 12 exposure roll and some more bucks for developing - back when a buck bought a hamburger, coke, and fries at McDonalds. Taking a picture was an event back in the day.
...and flashbulbs. When was the last time you saw one of those.
When I was 10 years old, I found an unused flashbulb in a neighbor's trash. It was one of the big ones, about the size of a plum. I wondered: Can I set it off with a 9v transistor radio battery? Short answer - yes. It worked! But that's when I learned a few things about flashbulbs. One, they are VERY bright, and two, they get VERY hot. Not only did I blister my hand, but I had reverse tunnel vision for a long time.
Friend of mine worked in one of the processing labs as the overnight manager. He said that they'd have to process the film before QC checking at which time they would have to view a lot of porn, weird stuff, etc., besides all the regular photos. They were required by law to dispose of the porn and add a note to the owner as to why they didn't get those pictures. Said some of the lab processors had a pretty large collection of porn at home.
Yes, and don't miss them a bit. Neither the price, nor the hassle.
Once in a great while, you can find someone - key maker, etc. - who's turned their kiosks into successful small retail habitats.
Probably 95% of them are gone entirely, relegated to well-deserved oblivion, along with dial phones, phonebooths, and typewriters.
Kodak was an industrial powerhouse within 40 years of its founding, and listed as part of the benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average from 1930-2004. But they were too slow and stupid to capitalize on the switch to digital imagery, left the BBB just ahead of being kicked out due to shoddy products and non-existent customer service in 2007, and declared bankruptcy in 2012. They lose money consistently, and their stock is selling at under $5/share, with little prospect of ever becoming the dominant force in anything.
A friend ran his own photo store and film lab. He was a Kodak dealer and his contract stated that he could sell any photo products Kodak made. When digital cameras were release, he placed an order and it was rejected. Kodak classified digital cameras as computer equipment in order to choke out the dealers. They were going to rely on internet sales, and sales from major outlets like Walmart. They laid off the sales force, went cheap, and couldn't figure out why their sales dropped. Their next venture was in digital printers. That, too, bombed. They were far enough behind the competition that they could never recover. Their competition in digital cameras were flooding the market with cameras with higher resolution and more desirable features. Everyone, except upper management, saw it coming. In the 1980's every decent sized town had a camera store, now there are less that 1,000 in the entire country.
Dropped off my camera rolls of the DMZ Panmunjom at one at Yongsan main post. The next day I picked up some other dudes pictures of his family vacation at Disney. I never bothered my OM-F 35 mm again. Why bother?
Fotomat had a huge yacht parked at the showcase pier at the Kona Kai Yacht Club on Shelter Island, complete with full crew. Appeared to be for entertaining purposes. And there it sat, reportedly stuck in the mud. I never saw it move. Kept my dinky sailboat at the next pier.
My first thought on seeing that picture (which was before I noticed your caption) was "I remember those!".
ReplyDeleteThem, and Fotomat.
ReplyDeleteI stopped at a Fotomat to see if my film had been developed. She said, "not yet". I said "It's OK. Someday, my prints will come". I could hear her laughing for a block.
ReplyDeleteSo THAT'S a photoshop.
ReplyDeleteI kinda miss the Fotomat Elves, too.
ReplyDeleteThe brick building on the far left looks very much like a Safeway store. Don't see them much anymore, either.
ReplyDeleteSafeway still exists and the overall parent company is in fact one of the largest grocery chains in the country. Merged with Albertsons they now rival Kroger in size. I think WalMart is larger. I don't think any other chain approaches these 3 in any measure of size.
DeleteAhold USA is slightly smaller in revenue and store count than Albertsons.
DeleteI remember paying some bucks for a 12 exposure roll and some more bucks for developing - back when a buck bought a hamburger, coke, and fries at McDonalds. Taking a picture was an event back in the day.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I wasn't sure if your question was referring to the photo place or the Fiat -- yes, I remember them both.
ReplyDeleteBTW, some of the best barbeque I've ever had came from a place in Seattle that was in an old Fotomat (take-out only).
Yeah, I owned an 850, what a piece of shit!
ReplyDeleteA cousin had an 850.
DeleteOne day it somehow caught fire and almost literally burned to the ground.
Fiat It Again Tony
DeleteI drove one in high school. For an idea of how I drove, my nickname was Reme Julian, Italian stunt car driver.
My dad had a 124. I took my drivers test in it.
DeleteDamn...Fifty years sure went by quick.
ReplyDeleteA distant side note, but related. I was just at my desk, seasoning an egg and bacon taco using a plastic film can with the old Coghlan's shaker lid.
ReplyDeleteLC LtC
Is that Tommy Chongs place?
ReplyDeleteI worked for a while at a photo processing center. You hope nothing breaks in the dark room because no lights.
ReplyDeleteAnd I remember the movie.
ReplyDelete...and flashbulbs. When was the last time you saw one of those.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 10 years old, I found an unused flashbulb in a neighbor's trash. It was one of the big ones, about the size of a plum. I wondered: Can I set it off with a 9v transistor radio battery? Short answer - yes. It worked! But that's when I learned a few things about flashbulbs. One, they are VERY bright, and two, they get VERY hot. Not only did I blister my hand, but I had reverse tunnel vision for a long time.
made great detonators if you peeled back the bulb a bit.
DeleteI had a Crown Graphic 60+ years ago. When you installed a new flashbulb in the flash gun you had to lick the contacts to insure it going off.
ReplyDelete"Busch Pressman" here:)
Deleteremember the commercial with Ginger Lacey?
ReplyDelete"You never forget your first spitfire"
Friend of mine worked in one of the processing labs as the overnight manager. He said that they'd have to process the film before QC checking at which time they would have to view a lot of porn, weird stuff, etc., besides all the regular photos. They were required by law to dispose of the porn and add a note to the owner as to why they didn't get those pictures. Said some of the lab processors had a pretty large collection of porn at home.
ReplyDeleteYes I do
ReplyDeleteYes, and don't miss them a bit. Neither the price, nor the hassle.
ReplyDeleteOnce in a great while, you can find someone - key maker, etc. - who's turned their kiosks into successful small retail habitats.
Probably 95% of them are gone entirely, relegated to well-deserved oblivion, along with dial phones, phonebooths, and typewriters.
Kodak was an industrial powerhouse within 40 years of its founding, and listed as part of the benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average from 1930-2004.
But they were too slow and stupid to capitalize on the switch to digital imagery, left the BBB just ahead of being kicked out due to shoddy products and non-existent customer service in 2007, and declared bankruptcy in 2012. They lose money consistently, and their stock is selling at under $5/share, with little prospect of ever becoming the dominant force in anything.
cf.: Sears, Roebuck & Co.
Fix It Again, Tony isn't even worth mentioning.
A friend ran his own photo store and film lab. He was a Kodak dealer and his contract stated that he could sell any photo products Kodak made. When digital cameras were release, he placed an order and it was rejected. Kodak classified digital cameras as computer equipment in order to choke out the dealers. They were going to rely on internet sales, and sales from major outlets like Walmart. They laid off the sales force, went cheap, and couldn't figure out why their sales dropped. Their next venture was in digital printers. That, too, bombed. They were far enough behind the competition that they could never recover. Their competition in digital cameras were flooding the market with cameras with higher resolution and more desirable features. Everyone, except upper management, saw it coming. In the 1980's every decent sized town had a camera store, now there are less that 1,000 in the entire country.
DeleteKodak was a major polluter with all the chemicals they made.
DeleteRemember Kodak?
ReplyDeleteDropped off my camera rolls of the DMZ Panmunjom at one at Yongsan main post. The next day I picked up some other dudes pictures of his family vacation at Disney. I never bothered my OM-F 35 mm again. Why bother?
ReplyDelete35 mm black plastic film canisters are hard to find nowdays?
ReplyDeleteFotomat had a huge yacht parked at the showcase pier at the Kona Kai Yacht Club on Shelter Island, complete with full crew. Appeared to be for entertaining purposes. And there it sat, reportedly stuck in the mud. I never saw it move. Kept my dinky sailboat at the next pier.
ReplyDelete