And just exactly what is a gadget. A a mechanical contrivance or device; a machine which is made from technology for its usefulness to humans. And the particular gadgets I’m speaking of are cameras. Such a a case in point is the classic, old Kodak Brownie box cameras, the first one I ever used as well as being captured on one at a very young age. But since that time, as I’ve aged, so has the technology of photo taking.
An old-age icon.
In 1965, for Christmas I got my first camera. It was the Polaroid Swinger and, of course, I was prompted to want one due to the television commercial, my introduction to Madison Avenue’s control over consumerism, especially that of the younger generation whom they’d discovered was a gold mine.
Interesting thing about that commercial, one of the girls in it was Ali McGraw in her pre-movie-star years, and the jingle was written and sung by Barry Manilow who was even younger than McGraw at that time. That’s how he began his career, as a commercial jingle writer. A couple of his works were something most from that era will remember, the State Farm Insurance commercial that had the classic line, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there,” which he wrote, and he composed the music for the Band Aid commercial that had the line, “I am stuck on Band-Aid brand, ’cause Band-Aid’s stuck on me!” Who would have known, or could have known, that from such an inauspicious beginning would come such an all-star career and so many great hits like “Mandy”, “Can’t Smile Without You” and one of my all time faves, “Copacabana (At the Copa)”. And it was not long after the Swinger commercial that Ali McGraw hit it big, starring as the ill-fated Jennifer in the movie “Love Story”, along with Ryan O’Neil.
Believe it or not, this bad boy would still work…if the film was still available, that is, and my research tells me that there’s not a chance of that ever happening.
But as for a camera, after the Swinger, I never had another one until 2008 when I got an Olympus digital camera for my first trip to the Philippines; a 43-year gap in time. I even bought one of those for my then fiancé Lynndee for her birthday while I was in the Philippines visiting. And now that she’s my wife, I gave her the ultimate camera on our anniversary, one she’d been wanting since I first met her, a Canon EOS Rebel SL1 DSLR. So needless to say, I’m not the photographer anymore. But Lynndee is mastering the skill in a profound way, using her anniversary gift on an almost daily basis, especially for our blog. It truly was a good investment on my part, as well as the other gadgets I’ve got her to use with the camera, like a set of special lights and the particular lens covers she needed.
And who knows what could possibly be next on the horizon of photography? I just wish I could get some film to use in my Polaroid Swinger, for old times, nostalgic sake.
It would be fun to see how those pictures will turn out with that old camera. We all know what pictures nowadays look like and a lot of them are Photoshop so the kind of fun to see something that can’t be messed with.
I actually tried to scan some of the photos I’d taken with the Swinger, but my scanner wasn’t working. But they sure brought back memories.
I have a niece who would actually love that camera! She’s in to old gadgets!
It is amazing how much times have changed cameras. What a fun look back in time at the first camera you got!
I LOVE that old polaroid camera, and I think it is so cool that you still have it. My great grandmother had one like it many many years ago, and I wish someone had held onto it. I just love cameras.
Wow, that is awesome. Very old school! I can only imagine how the pictures must turn out.
I still have my Polaroid camera from when i was a teenager. It still takes great photos.
That is so awesome! I love that camera and that is so cool you still have one. Wish they still had the film for that, that would be fun.
We still have one – my father gave it to my bemused son when he was about 8 and it’s lived in a cupboard ever since. In fact I am planning to move soon and I was looking at it wondering if anyone would anyone want it…having read the comments maybe they would.
I agree it has an iconic look but it’s not a great ornament in a 200 year old English town house!
It’s amazing to see how much technology has changed. I remember having one of those cameras that would let out the photos right away. I actually loved them cameras too! They may not have taken the best of photos, but they were really neat.
We had a Polaroid camera and I think my mom hid it somewhere. When we were kids, my siblings and I were so amazed when the pictures came out instantly.
This is a cool looking vintage canera. I bet it will be worth a little cash some day too. It would be neat if they reproduced film for it. Thank you for sharing.
Wow, that Polaroid is amazing! My mom has some old camera in her piano window and i think it’s amazing to look at the difference through the past years.
I badly want to have a polaroid camera. I’m such a sucker for photos
How wonderful! I have always been fascinated with photography and wouldn’t mind owning a few vintage cameras.
I’ve been collecting old cameras for a few years. I love getting them at garage sales!