Site about vintage Press Cameras
Refurbishing, Personalising and using Classic Press Cameras.

by Jo Lommen

Even now, when watching the old movies and especially newsreels from the twenties up to the sixties in the last century, I'm always  impressed by the huge crowd of pressmen, taking pictures from the events taking place.
The photographers used to wear their Press Hats while  carrying their enormous press cameras with one or two huge flash guns, trying to get the best possible position to take a news shot.
Back in 1995 I purchased my first Speed Graphic on a fair in Holland, where I live.
First of all, previous of taking pictures, I had to take care of the camera itself. I had to repair the shutter, clean the lens and adjust the range finder and the infinity stops.
At the same time I studied the working mechanism in all sorts of photographic manuals, including the history of press photography in general.
I learned that the first attempt to cover a public event in London was the funeral of Prince Albert in 1861.
In the 20th century from the first world war up to the 1960ties  these impressive vintage analogue press cameras were very popular with the press.
Despite the fact that these cameras were huge and heavy they were also used for street and press photography.
As an excellent example you'll undoubtedly remember the famous Arthur Fellig, nicknamed WEEGEE, who covered day and night the events in the streets of New York back in the thirties.

Photo cameras became more than just tools; they became symbols of a cultural change. In America, press photography played a crucial role in the civil rights movement, capturing pivotal moments of social upheaval.
In Europe, photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson pioneered street photography, capturing the essence of post-war life.
Photographers all over the world  embraced these trends, integrating them into their own rich artistic heritage.
Today an increasing number of famous photographers, some of them with a world fame reputation, have rediscovered these classic cameras,
not only using them to distinguish between digital simplicity and analogue craftsmanship, but mainly to create unique photographic works of art. 
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