Kyanon Kabushiki-Gaisha

The Inspiration Shots

iPhoneOgraphy – 31 Mar 2016 (Day 91/366)

The origins of Canon date back to the founding of Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory in Japan in 1937 by Takeshi Mitarai, Goro Yoshida, Saburo Uchida and Takeo Maeda. During its early years the company did not have any facilities to produce its own optical glass, and its first cameras incorporated Nikkor lenses from Nippon Kogaku K.K. (the later Nikon Corporation).

Between 1933 and 1936 ‘The Kwanon’, a copy of the Leica design, Japan’s first 35mm focal plane-shutter camera, was developed in prototype form. In 1940 Canon developed Japan’s first indirect X-ray camera. Canon introduced a field zoom lens for television broadcasting in 1958 and in 1959 introduced the Reflex Zoom 8, the world’s first movie camera with a zoom lens, and the Canonflex.

In 1961 Canon introduced the Rangefinder camera, Canon 7, and 50mm 1:0.95 lens in a special bayonet mount. In 1964…

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When Anyone Could Issue Money

Windows into History

An example of a bank note issued by a bank other than the Bank of England (source: bbc.co.uk)

Snippets 60.  Until the Bank Charter Act of 1844, the Bank of England was just one of many institutions that were issuing bank notes.  As amazing as it might seem nowadays, any banking institution could offer their own bank notes, and even after the act banks that were already issuing notes were allowed to continue, with the last private bank issuing notes as late as 1921.

In 1810, Peter Richard Hoare expressed his concern with the amount of different bank notes, and the quantities being supplied without necessarily being backed up with gold deposits.  His book, A Letter, Containing Observations on some of the Effects of our Paper Currency, is an eye-opener as to the complex situation that had developed at the time.

Without doubt there are amongst the class…

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It’s Just A Plant

The Arts Mechanical

In a Stargate SG1 episode a vine takes over the Sg1 facility, strangling operations and resist just about every attempt to eradicate it.  The episode ended with the plaint; “it was just a plant!!” Anybody who has been in the south would recognize the vine immediately.  It was kudzu. There is no way that the pernicious evil instrument of biological terror that is kudzu could  ever be considered “just a plant.”

Some may consider kudzu an attempt by the Japanese to use biological warfare to lower American productivity except for the fact that the Japanese have been dealing with kudzu too and it’s been just as much a menace for them as it has in the states.  I found buildings swallowed by that broadleaved monster vine, just like I have seen in the South.

Invasion of the Vine that Ate the South

There is no such thing as “Just a plant.”

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The Broad Museum ~ The Veil and the Vault

A Note From Abroad

February 12th ~ Los Angeles, California

Jeff Koons ~ Tulips

Los Angeles has a brand new museum – The Broad

Just opening in September 2015, it is the latest “Must See” attraction for both locals and visitors to the City of Angeles. Reservations can be done in advance through their website at http://www.thebroad.org and are highly recommended to avoid up to a several hour wait in line to get in. Last October I made reservations for us for the first opening, which was today, February 12th.

It is currently booked solid through May.

BUT… 

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