i believe this (above)is a kodak vigilant six-20 medium format camera, with f/8.8 100mm and a diomatic shutter, manufactured between 1939-1949. i love the shape of this folding camera, especially the kodak "stand" at the base. it required 620 mm film (which was discontinued in 1955). i didn't ask if this was in working condition--if so, one could head to the darkroom and re-spool 120mm film onto the 620mms.
i think this is an argus A4, 44mm f3.5. produced between 1953-56.
i like the look of it, super basic, with the oversized and obvious "wind" and "rewind" buttons.
i'm not a collector, so argus is a new name to me. but argus was a michigan-based company that produced its first camera in 1936--the "model a." the model a was the first affordable, easy to use 35mm camera-- it's massive success likely inspired kodak to switch its 126 mm film to the now-standard 35mm. the argus model 3c, manufactured in 1939, was the best-selling 35mm camera for nearly thirty years.
a vintage coffee grinder! with vintage beans (hmm. neat, but not so fresh)
an eyelet maker (left) and vintage bottles with original labels...
george has a serious theatre connection - a lot of his millinery and wigmaking "models" were used by designers for real broadway performers and rockettes.
ok, this is sort of neat (i think): ansco, an acronym for the anthony & scoville co, was a binghamton, ny-based photographic company founded in 1842 (pre-kodak). in 1928, it merged with the german company, agfa, and as agfa-ansco, produced inexpensive cameras and sold "re-badged" versions of other companies' cameras. in 1941 the company was taken over by the us government as an "enemy asset" because of its affiliation with germany. after the war, the company dropped agfa, and operated as ansco, until 1967, when it became the very catchy general aniline & film, or gaf.
i am pretty sure this camera is the agra/ansco readyset special, from 1941.
now that is a great name.
