The Huron Expositor, 1989-05-10, Page 3THE HURON EXPOSITOR, MAY 10, 1989 — 3A
cal man makes replica camera forOttawa museum
• Adoral craftsman#tasbeen commissioned
to -wild replica cameras for a national
museum.
13111 Durst, 4of RR 4 Seaforth, has con-
'trePlicas .of three of history's
esteameras,.tohee used in an exhibit at
the National Musetnn of Science and
Technology:in Ottawa.
Mr.:13urstesknown locally as a handyman
who repairs violins and clocks, and is
generally. handy with wood and metal.
Mr. Durst got the chance to bid on 10
camera projects for the museum through
hisson.Hisson John is the head of the audio-
visual department at Wilfred Laurier
University, and contacted his father to
make replica cameras for his private collec-
tion. The 150th anniversary of the earliest
camera, the Daguerreotype, takes place
this year and the museum in Ottawa noticed
they were missing a Daguerreotype and
other cameras from their display. They con-
tacted John Durst at WLU, who put them in
touch with his father.
Mr. Durst has made a Daguerreotype us-
ing plans and pictures the museum supplied
him with. He is not a camera buff or a
photography historian, but working from
the -pictures he made the wooden cameras
and evenmachined'their brass tense holders
and other parts.
The first camera he made was a Daguer-
reotype, the first working camera. A
Daguerreotype is essentially a large wooden
box made to slide within another box.
Sliding moves the lens back and forth to
focus a picture. The image comes through
the lens and hits a copper platemith solution
which retains the image. The entire pro-
cedure of focusing the image, exposing the
plate and then developing the plate were all
done in complete darkness with the
photographer and part of the camera under
a blanket.
Mr. Durst also made a Fox Talbot, or
mousetrap camera. The camera is a fist siz-
ed wooden box with a trap door that is open-
ed to expose the image, and which otherwise
works in the same manner as Daguerre's
camera. The box is named for the English
mousetrap, which catches a mouse without
killing it, so itssoft-hearted captorlcan then
take-ittothe countryand setitfree. The lens
holder on tate front of the camera is of 'brass
and is one tube which slides back and forth
inside -another to'foeus the image.
This small camera was difficult to build
because of the many tiny parts, and Mr.
Durst says he found it a "tinkering lithe
time-consuming job."
And the third "camera" Mr. Durst con-
structed is not really a camera, but a
camera obscure. This device brings an im-
age into a wooden box through a frontal lens
and projects it onto a mirror placed
diagonally at 45 degrees at the other end of
the box. Above the mirror is a glass plate on
which is placed a piece of light tracing
paper. Light, and the image, is reflected
through the glass and if the photographer is
under a dark blanket he can see the image
quite clearly on the tracing paper. He can
then sketch the image.
Mr. Durst has tried this last camera, and
was surprised to find it delivers a crisp,
clear image.
Mr. Durst shipped the three cameras to
Ottawa on Friday. He may be getting work
to do one or more of the seven other camera
artefacts for the museum, which include
items like a picture taking posing stand to
hold subjects still while their picture was be-
ing exposed, and a Voightlander camera
made entirely of brass. He has also been
contacted by a museum in Bangkok,
Thailand -the Museum of Imaging and
Technology- to make the lens holder for a
Daguerre camera they have partially
constructed.
Mr. Durst retired two years ago from
working at Durst's Machine Shop on Main
Street. Since then he has been kept busy in
the well equipped shop in his basem nt
building and repairing clocks, repairhhl
violins, re-hairing bows, and doing assorted
odd jobs.
Mr. Durst says he found building the
replica cameras • to be interesting, "but no
more difficult than many of the jobs we did
at the shop". He says it was a "nice little
project," and he was able to complete it in
his basement hobby shop.
THE FOX TALBOT or mousetrap camera is
not much bigger than as seen here, a .
was named tor the rodent trap it resembles
consisting of a small box and a trapdoor to
capture mice alive. Corbett photo.
THE CAMERA OBSCURA, the earliest camera, was more of a projector than a camera,
and Bit Durst demonstrates how it was used to trace a captured image. Normally this
would be done under a blanket in complete darkness. Corbett photo.
BUILDING CAMERAS is just Mr. Durst's latest project, but for many years he has been
known for working on violins and clocks. He is seen here with a violin, case and bow he
completely built. to 'the background is one of the clocks he also built. Corbett photo.
THE DAGUERROTYPE camera is the first real camera, and it celebrates its 150th an:
niversary this year. Bill Durst built this Daguerrotype for an Ottawa museum, and may
have a commission to make a lens holder, as seen on the front of this camera, for a
Bangkok museum. Corbett photo.
CAMERA REPLICAS - Bill Durst of RR 4 Seaforth was commis- display. On the kift is the camera obscure, on the right is a
,a stoned by the National Museum of Science and Technology to Daguerreotype -the first camera as we know them today, and in
build replicas of these three antique cameras for a museum ' front is a mousetrap or Fox Talbot camera. Corbett photo.
Catholic Board to again 'hold annual staff banquet
Respite huge cuts in Huron -Perth Roman
Catholic separate school board's 1989
hydgetset at $18.7 million trustees voted 7 to
6 Monday night to continue the annual staff
banquet .which cost the board about $8500
;last year.
.Finance committee chairman Ron Mur-
ray,tsbled a motion to reconsider removing
tthebanquetthis year because "every other
;frill" was cut from the budget.
7'tvatee.,Bernard-Murray wanted to scale
;tile banquet down :so it .wouldn't ;cost as
much this year. •Ile said the annual, quet
was; important .because.it,was the one time
,of,'the year everyone :.who works ;for the
,.boardgets together.
"I'm not sure it's the place to cut,dollars
when you can't put a dollar value on the
benefits of the banquet. It's not considered a
hill. It's basic idea is very important," Mr.
Murray said.
Trustee Ron Marcy agreed., He said he felt
the annual banquet is good pubic relations
for the board and the cost is well worth the
relationships sustained as a result of
meeting each year.
Vice-chlirman Ben Brownwanted .board
funding withdrawn from the banquet but
hoped it could go on in,some other form such
as'through,ticket sales.
'With budget cuts everywhere this, year
we shouldn't be spending money on
ourselves," he said.
Chairman Vincent McInnes said he
thought asking board employees, who range
from secretaries to custodians to teachers
and principals, to fund their own banquet
"seems to lose something." He added,thatif
the board opted to cut the banquet he felt
while it wouldn't be popular, it would be
understood.
Trustee Donald Rlvera.said he felt ifithe
board Itaintains high ,profile conununlca-
stions ,with its satff the public are rewarded
,down:-the,llne.
Trustee <Ernest •Vanderachot reminded
board ;members that ;the banquet ,:was cut
;iromithe•budget;about ifive :or six years ago
,forsthefaatne reason.
$.ChoOI pace pr blle s addressed by Han
•increasing „„pproblems ,with ,school ,Space areative,•aglptions to,aolve;apace•,pproppletns y
ere ' a •:oOtiftgnted•in.Tlurnn. pare being ffound.' i00grd 'lThaitztgart
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Wed., May 10
1:30 p.m. — SENIOR GAMES "CROKINOLE"
et.;S D:C.C.
6:15 p.m. — :Seaforth -Horticultural Society
Harden tour;&meeting. Carpool at;Seatorth
Public .School.
7,p.m.—,Horseshoe League, begins, at the
-Arena •:everytlodyawelcome
.841p.m.--Fltneaa,la:,Fun .at S:p.c:C.
7:30;p,m.—^Waltanerewers ve 04th Queens
Tavern
e,pam. — Cdth ,Bears •vs C4th Creamery -
both,games:at,the Lions Park
PgSTPO$ED — ;til ,May .17, ;$eatprth
*101, 0p,Nfttirat Spring Garden'1aur
alid,AN$�Rtirtg
tuns . , ,May 11
afi 0s9, 0,ertn —•^ itgplls;ie:f-`un,stS:A.C�C.
6:00,4401.--1.sket danys•O4�h,Morphanta,at
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10. a.m. - Noon — Seaforth Horticultural
Plant Sale, Rowcllfte Garage, Seaforth
Sun. , May 14
5:30 p.m. — Exeter at Seaforth Midgets
at the High School Diamond
Mon. , May 15
Mens Faatball at the Optimist Park
7:30 p.m. — Walton Brewers vs C4th
Creamery
9 p.m. — Clinton Wooers vs C4th Queens
Tavern
Tues. , May 16
8:30.9:30 a.m.—.EItneas Is,Fun pt S.P.C.C..
6:30 p,m. — Lakeelde ve:g4thMerchants
at.MIRObentFiel
W;et, May 17
1,0,a,m. - $sENIOA $ .f ORSESHOES '
,Pn•Arena-GrPlu a
1;3i1 p,m. — "CARPETROMANS" at
„;5lfpa,@O, st LPun,S4P4
7;a0a4 01...•- $iillh 41,uratss ,vs 04th ;Weems
r9010
p,M. T, 0•Coli pA.ssPal$i IStn,.i-Qi!g,Qn
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