Touring the Candy Stores - Adorama and B&H
Oct 14, 2016 07:39:34 #
erickter wrote:
I've purchased from B&H's store while in Manhatten, and I was on the phone with Adorama today. They're both closed all next week.
Thanks erickter. My timing is unfortunate. Oh, well, I'll just have to plan another trip!
Oct 14, 2016 07:55:26 #
gotr wrote:
Wasn't there a good 42ND St camera back in the early 1980s
I bought my Pentax K1000 metal 35 my with 50 my lens. Lots of fun and good pictures
I bought my Pentax K1000 metal 35 my with 50 my lens. Lots of fun and good pictures
Is It possible that you mean 47st photo? 47 st photo was THE camera supplier to the pros in the 60's and 70's. Bought all my film gear from them. All the photo suppliers had pages of photo stuff adds in the last pages of Popular Photography.
Oct 14, 2016 09:19:01 #
boberic wrote:
Is It possible that you mean 47st photo? 47 st photo was THE camera supplier to the pros in the 60's and 70's. Bought all my film gear from them. All the photo suppliers had pages of photo stuff adds in the last pages of Popular Photography.
47th Street Photo still exists. Its name was purchased at the company's auction way back when. I see the name on eBay selling photo stuff. The new outfit is located in Brooklyn. Here's a couple of NY Times articles about the demise of the original company: <http://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/22/business/47th-st-photo-files-for-bankruptcy.html> and <http://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/27/nyregion/with-questionable-future-47th-st-photo-closes-doors.html?_r=0>.
Another camera store which still exists in NYC is Willoughby's, a relatively small store on Fifth Avenue which is a shadow of its greatness. See: <http://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/20/nyregion/in-digital-age-willoughby-s-remakes-itself.html>. Along with its sister store, Peerless Camera, they were a longtime camera dealer in its day. My father and I in 1963 purchased a Yashica Penta J SLR and case for $79.95 as a high school graduation gift for me and to practice shooting for the upcoming 1964 World's Fair in Flushing, NY. Willoughby's was the "pro" store, stocking an extensive inventory of sheet and roll films, darkroom chemicals, papers and other supplies and was located an avenue over from Penn Station (Amtrak and LIRR) on the west 32nd Street while the Peerless store sold mainly camera gear on the eastside's, if I recall, Lexington Avenue.
These are some of the major stores that graced midtown Manhattan in photography's heyday: Olden Camera, Camera Barn, Wallstreet, Cambridge, Spiratone, United Camera, Ken Hansen CameraLand, Lens and Repro, Bomze (mostly used specialty in the former "Photo District"), 17th Street Photo and Calumet. Only a few are left: Fotocare (W. 22nd St.), K&M (2 stores), Willoughby's, Adorama and B&H Photo. There are also a number of stores which rent lighting equipment for still and video. The new Adorama rental store on 17th Street and FotoCare also rent camera and other equipment.
Many great memories! I still have my Yashica camera and much of the stuff I picked here and there rummaging in these stores' used department and bargain bins. Ed
Oct 14, 2016 10:33:04 #
Oct 16, 2016 11:01:51 #
I had a tour at B&H with Hershell and it was very interesting. You should get ahold of him ahead of time to set it up
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