How my Collection came about...
Hi, my name is Graeme and I live in Australia. There are several aspects that have influenced the creation of this site. Firstly, my family owned an Iloca Rapid camera from around the mid 1950's onwards, and most of our early family memories were taken with that camera.
Secondly, that camera was passed on to me during the 1970's after it became faulty, giving me the opportunity to find out how a camera from the 1950's era worked. My efforts as a novice repairer were successful up to a point, and I was at least rewarded with a reasonable quality camera for my first real attempts at photography.
Thirdly, although in time the Rapid took second place to more modern and advanced cameras, I have had a long-time urge to put together a modest collection of photographic equipment. But where to start, and what direction to take, given the vast amount of photographic items that were (and are still) available? Initially, I thought about one of the well-known and respected names, such as Leica, Voigtländer, Zeiss, Contax, Exakta, Praktica, Edixa, Kodak or Agfa. However, after an initial attempt in that direction as a new, but rather naive, collector, I started to rethink my approach. While I wanted to pursue something that was unique, and with a certain level of intrigue, it still needed to be affordable. Slowly it occurred to me that I already had the makings of a collection in the form of the old Iloca Rapid, now stored away in the cupboard somewhere. So I started to have a closer look at the Iloca range of cameras, and that's when I discovered, to my surprise, that the Iloca company had also been producers of stereo cameras. Other than View-Master, I was unaware that stereo cameras even existed. So, after a bit more research, my interest in this rather modest, yet fascinating, company was sealed.
I admit that as a collector, it's easy to be drawn away from the original theme, and the more highly respected and well-known names start to entice once again. But overall, I have managed to stick to the Iloca theme quite well. I think the cost factor has helped in this respect - you can buy quite a few Ilocas for the price of one Leica!
I have also made mistakes - sometimes funny, sometimes annoying. For example, the stereo close-up lens set that I bought. Unfortunately, It arrived without lenses - nice set of frames, though!
Over the years, I have enjoyed getting out and taking photos with some of these old cameras, so I try to keep a few of them in good working order. I'm not overly concerned if they show some signs of use, because I feel that the enjoyment of using them more than compensates for a few blemishes here and there.
I also enjoy the challenge of looking for suitable items to add to the collection - some of which I had not even known about previously. There is a sense of satisfaction and enjoyment when you discover something new or unusual. It has also been a good way of learning about the 1950's from a new and rather unusual perpective, and putting this knowledge into context with my former impressions of that era.
I have enjoyed bringing together this collection, documenting the site, and using the various items of equipment from time to time.
Secondly, that camera was passed on to me during the 1970's after it became faulty, giving me the opportunity to find out how a camera from the 1950's era worked. My efforts as a novice repairer were successful up to a point, and I was at least rewarded with a reasonable quality camera for my first real attempts at photography.
Thirdly, although in time the Rapid took second place to more modern and advanced cameras, I have had a long-time urge to put together a modest collection of photographic equipment. But where to start, and what direction to take, given the vast amount of photographic items that were (and are still) available? Initially, I thought about one of the well-known and respected names, such as Leica, Voigtländer, Zeiss, Contax, Exakta, Praktica, Edixa, Kodak or Agfa. However, after an initial attempt in that direction as a new, but rather naive, collector, I started to rethink my approach. While I wanted to pursue something that was unique, and with a certain level of intrigue, it still needed to be affordable. Slowly it occurred to me that I already had the makings of a collection in the form of the old Iloca Rapid, now stored away in the cupboard somewhere. So I started to have a closer look at the Iloca range of cameras, and that's when I discovered, to my surprise, that the Iloca company had also been producers of stereo cameras. Other than View-Master, I was unaware that stereo cameras even existed. So, after a bit more research, my interest in this rather modest, yet fascinating, company was sealed.
I admit that as a collector, it's easy to be drawn away from the original theme, and the more highly respected and well-known names start to entice once again. But overall, I have managed to stick to the Iloca theme quite well. I think the cost factor has helped in this respect - you can buy quite a few Ilocas for the price of one Leica!
I have also made mistakes - sometimes funny, sometimes annoying. For example, the stereo close-up lens set that I bought. Unfortunately, It arrived without lenses - nice set of frames, though!
Over the years, I have enjoyed getting out and taking photos with some of these old cameras, so I try to keep a few of them in good working order. I'm not overly concerned if they show some signs of use, because I feel that the enjoyment of using them more than compensates for a few blemishes here and there.
I also enjoy the challenge of looking for suitable items to add to the collection - some of which I had not even known about previously. There is a sense of satisfaction and enjoyment when you discover something new or unusual. It has also been a good way of learning about the 1950's from a new and rather unusual perpective, and putting this knowledge into context with my former impressions of that era.
I have enjoyed bringing together this collection, documenting the site, and using the various items of equipment from time to time.