Small Scopes

Camera Museum in South Africa (off topic)

An article by Lucille Davis on the City of Johannesburg website provides details about what seems to be one of the best photography museums in the world:

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The museum has one of the world's best collections of photographic records and documents and, of course, cameras.

Donation

It was begun with a donation from amateur photographer and sometime Joburg mayor, Dr Arthur Bensusan, in 1968. He donated his entire 30-year collection: 400 antique cameras, 5 000 photographs and 2 000 photographic books, some of which date back to 1860.

In November 1968 Bensusan told the Rand Daily Mail newspaper, "The museum will illustrate the history of photography and the history of South Africa as seen through the eye of the camera."

A number of these cameras are on display at the museum, making for a fascinating study. Part of Bensusan's original collection is a camera belonging to British statesman Winston Churchill, and perhaps the first official war photograph – one taken in 1854 of a Crimean War scene. Also in the collection are several spy cameras from the 1800s, made to look like watches, books and binoculars.

Besides collecting photography books, the museum continues to collect cuttings, pamphlets and journals, and has made some valuable additions to its wonderful collection.

First negative

The acquisition in 1970 of the first negative ever made is the most special of these. It was taken by the inventor of photography, William Fox Talbot, in 1835, with the help of a camera obscura.

The negative, several centimetres in size, is of the oriel window of Lacock Abbey in England. The City bought it for R860, according to The Star of October 1970, acquiring it from Bensusan. There are only three other such negatives in the world – two in Britain and one in Russia.

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posted by Tako John @ 5:26 PM