Breaking Barriers in Photography In the 1870s, photography was an intricate and demanding pursuit, accessible only to those with both resources and specialized training. A photographer in this period would work with substantial, fragile glass plates, carefully balanced atop weighty cameras mounted on large tripods. Each image required meticulous preparation…
Tag: history
Classic Musicians
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Fred Van Eps
The Banjo Virtuoso You’ve Probably Never Heard Of In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the banjo was transitioning from its folk roots to a more popular instrument, one man emerged who elevated its status and redefined its potential: Fred Van Eps. A virtuoso in the truest sense,…
The Evolution of Photography
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The Wet Plate Era: Collodion Process and Ambrotypes (1850s–1880s)
Introduction The mid-19th century marked a turning point in the history of photography, ushering in an era of innovation and accessibility that would forever change the way we capture and perceive the world. This period, spanning roughly from the 1850s to the 1880s, witnessed the rise of the wet plate…
Friday Night Movies
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Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Introduction Lon Chaney’s 1925 film, The Phantom of the Opera, remains a landmark achievement in the silent film era. Released at the height of the Roaring Twenties, the film captivated audiences with its gothic atmosphere, tragic story, and the undeniable power of Chaney’s performance. This adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s novel…
Classic Musicians
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American Concert Orchestra
A Key Player in Edison Records’ Legacy of Acoustic Masterpieces Introduction In the early 20th century, Edison Records stood at the forefront of the phonograph industry, producing some of the most revered recordings of the time. Among its many contributions to music history, Edison was known for assembling talented studio…