May 29, 2011

Scheimpflug article finally finished

It has taken me some time, but yes, this afternoon I finished my Scheimpflug article. What started as an idea about a short story to commemorate his 100th dying day, ended as a 6100 word article with 20 pictures. I just hope the editor is going to accept it, because it will take up about 9 or 10 pages. But I think it is worth the space. The story contains much information that is hard to find or expensive to get. Many original articles were published before the Great War and if you want to read them you have to order copies from a university. I believe a number of illustrations for my story have not been published for 90 or 100 years and some have been taken for me especially.
I intend to put all the sources and pictures on the internet, free for everyone to use, as far as rights permit. The written sources will be gathered in the Scheimpflug file, a special part of my http://www.kodaksefke.eu/ website. The photos will be available at Flickr. My article will contain a QR code to take you to the photos directly. I'm planning to make them public in August. The 22nd would be a good day, but it depends on the publication date of the Photohistorisch Tijdschrift. The files must be online when the journal drops on the doormat.

To celebrate the day I show you another nice pic of Theo with a Hargrave kite. The panoramic camera was attached between the rods of the kite, to protect it when the kite would crash.

May 21, 2011

Earliest flying machines & other antiques

The photo in my last blog led me to the book 'Buch des Fluges' by Hermann Hoernes, published in 1911. In it I found the photo of the man and woman with a Nikel kite, just as I had hoped. But to my surprise I found two more photos, made at the same location, with two other models of kites. The article of which they are part, is written by Theodor Scheimpflug, and he tells that he not just experimented with the Nikel kite, but also with the two other models. So now I have three Scheimpflug kite pics!
The old book is absolutely fascinating, with lots of articles and photos of the earlies aeroplanes and Zeppelins, blimps, balloons and kites. Here's one illustration from the book, so you can enjoy it a wee bit also. It's a pity I have to return it to the library of the university of Groningen...

I'm still busy with the Scheimpflug article. Information keeps popping up and I just can't ignore it. But this weekend I must give it the final touch and then it is ready. ...At least I think so... if no other facts creep into my computer or surprise me in the mail. We'll see.

The Boston Bulls Eye in wood finish and super condition went for a mere US $ 334. Not enough I would say, but the market makes the price, not I.
There are a few interesting old Kodaks on eBay just now. A No. 3 Kodak Junior and a No. 3 Zenith box. Both are not seen so very often, the Zenith being the rarest.

May 16, 2011

A little update

I'm still working hard om the Scheimpflug article, with new information popping up now and then. Now I am trailing down a photo of Theodor Scheimpflug with a Nikel kite. I have it in low resolution and am trying to get a better one. Also it would be nice to get a confirmation that the male in the pic is indeed Theodor.
Somewhere I did read that there was a woman who often accompanied Theo when he tested his kites and cameras, but I can't find it anymore. That annoys me terribly. I must have it somewhere...

The editing of the text is nearly done. I'm at nearly 5000 words and have 18 illustrations. Hope the editor of the journal won't mind.

At eBay there's a Boston Bull's Eye in very fine wood finish. Go see it. Only two days left. If you want one, get this one.

May 3, 2011

Scheimpflug update

Today is a good Scheimpflug day. This morning  a number of photographs from the Bundesamt für Eich- und Vermessungswesen arrived. I also received a positive mail from Prof. Dr. Mayer, who published an article about Scheimpflug in Ophthalmic Research in 1994 and who is going to send me the documents he still has. All in all a lot of information and photographs is coming together, so much that it will be hard to choose what I will use and what not. But.... I have a new idea: the photos and illustrations that I cannot use will be available on Flickr. My article will contain a QR code, so everyone with a smartphone or webcam who has a QR code reader installed, can link directly to the extra pics.
At the moment the article has a length of 4100 words, too much for the 4 pages in the journal that is usual. I don't think I can reduce it to 2500 words, so I'm afraid it will be a two part story. Maybe that would be the best because I can use more illustrations then or they can be larger. Well, we'll see.

To celebrate the day I will share a photo already. Hope you like it. The pic shows the 8-lens panoramic camera attached to a blimp. From the door of the gondola the man has to hold the camera as horizontal as he can. This is the way the GoogleMaps of the Belle Époque was made.
Photo courtesy of Bundesamt für Eich- und Vermessungswesen. And many thanks to Annemarie Maier for her great help! Here's a virtual bunch of flowers for you.