Central Camera Company: The Front View by Chipka
Close
Hover over top left image to zoom.
Click anywhere to exit.
Members remain the original copyright holder in all their materials here at Renderosity. Use of any of their material inconsistent with the terms and conditions set forth is prohibited and is considered an infringement of the copyrights of the respective holders unless specially stated otherwise.
Description
I have yet to actually shop at Central Camera, but I’d love to go in, browse what happens to be available, and to marvel at the idea of actually being in an old place. I grew accustomed to old places while living in the Czech Republic: during my first few months there, I lived in an apartment building older than the USA. There’s a particular sort of existential weight that comes with age, Europe is full of such weight. At times it’s intimidating. At other times it’s oppressive. Mostly however, it’s just slightly alien for someone born in a country younger than some Central European bedrooms.
Chicago, by global culture standards, is relatively young. It’s brash. It’s garish. It’s a stunning paradox of glitz, flash, and boredom, but like any adolescent, Chicago has its charms…a few of them, at any rate. One such charm is Central Camera. It’s a remnant of the old Wabash Avenue: a cramped, dusty, ill-lit place with brass fittings in unexpected places, with real marble on its façade, and black and white pictures taken by a camera that remains on display, though not for sale. Central Camera is a family-run organization. It’s also steps away from Columbia College, my alma mater, and so it holds a particular sort of nostalgic appeal. I’m not a nostalgic person, and yet I can’t help but recall those days as a brash, young college student, ready to kiss my way around the globe while writing quirky, brilliant novels.
I’ve met all sorts of interesting people—many of whom speak English with accents unlike my own—and I will continue to do so. I’ve started a novel. I haven’t taken the world by storm, but I’ve meandered part of the way around it (kissing a few people here and there,) and slept in ancient gate-houses, former leprosy hospitals, and other odd places. I’ve befriended wandering hedgehogs, and fed bread to bears at Christmas. Bread? Czech bears need their roughage, I suppose. I’ve heard humans quacking like ducks (in Czech) and I’ve seen where Franz Kafka spent his childhood. With those experiences, I find that Chicago lacks quite a bit of authentic history, and so it’s an immense joy to realize that there are places in this city that actually are older than my grandparents would be if they were alive.
Though I’ve never been in Central Camera, it’s a marker of an earlier portion of my life. It’s a place I passed on a daily basis, while going to lunch with friends in purple socks, or with Betty Page’s evil artsy twin…well, not Betty Page’s twin so much as her accidental doppelganger, oh, and she wasn’t that evil either, just a bit…well…sultry. I think of her, and of friends in purple socks, whenever I see Central Camera, and in seeing this photo, I’m glad that I took it. Central Camera has been around for 111 years, and it’s likely to be around for a lot longer, but there’s no real guarantee of that. And so, for myself, if not for posterity, I’ve nabbed a couple of shots of the place, and at some point in the future, I’m likely to memorize a few words in Hungarian, just so that I can speak to the current owner and perhaps tease him about the fact that the first owner, his grandfather, would have known exactly what I was saying. Or maybe not.
At any rate, here is the front of Central Camera—a better view of the place than my earlier post indicated, and as always, I hope you enjoy it. As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting and I hope you’re all having a great week: or at least a darn good one.
Comments (27)
MrsRatbag
Looks a great place to spend a lot of time; and also money, if one had any! Great picture!
danapommet
An awesome memory shot Chip and once again - I've enjoyed your narrative. Dana
NefariousDrO
Ooh, this place would be like the most addictive thing to me I fear... It has the things that I find appealing about a place like Chicago: brash gaudiness of youth. The city is starting to settle down a bit as it matures, alas (and cities are still recovering from those disasters known as the 1970-1990 eras) but much of that old swaggering broad-shouldered vulgarity of it's meat-packing/industrial past has survived in some ways. There's some amazing things happening in Detroit with young "Do-It-Yourselfers" setting up shop in some of the most unexpected places, I suspect Chicago has something like that happening as well. At any rate, I love the neon, the garish signs, the wear and tear of time in this is superb.
auntietk
This sign is so cool, but it's still bugging me. This view shows the name of the manufacturer (White Way) and I found their website. Did you know they also made the sign for the old Chicago Theater? Anyway ... White Way started in 1916, so the sign can't be any older than that. They're still in business! So a sign company that's been in business for 95 years made the sign for a company that's been in business for 111 years. How cool is that? Did I remember to mention the photograph? Aside from my obsession with this sign (tyvm for THAT!), the image is excellent!
MrsLubner
There is a place on the northern coast in Fort Bragg, CA where my son lives that is called Cameras and Violins. I've never shopped there but I really need to stop and check it out. I think you need to do the same here. :-) It looks like a wonderful place and I bet you could get a great refurbished camera for a great price.
blinkings
Wow mate I bet they have some amazing things in there. If you really think about it though, your country is exactly the same age as every European country. The patch of soil you are standing on is exactly the same age as the Pyramids of Giza, Machu Picchu or the Colosseum. 'Matter' in its various forms is all the same age! LOL I know what you mean though! Interestingly though, not all atoms were created at the same time. The heavier elements were generated in second-generation stars, and the really heavy elements were generated only in supernovae.
whaleman
I don't know how you can resist going in when you pass it regularly. Hopefully you take the plunge whie you still can because camera stores, young and old, are disappearing as fast as our ozone layer, at least the ones avoiding the digital age. I hope it survives, and I hope you finish your novel. I've started two and both remain in limbo.
kgb224
Stunning capture my friend.
ragouc
Very good picture
bmac62
Maybe you'll be disappointed if you go in...better to walk by and keep the dream alive. Just thought I'd give you an alternative not suggested above:) Neat photo and thought piece Chip.
helanker
WOW ! This really reminds me of my very young days, when I went with my mom to a street in Copenhagen, called Istedgade, where most things were much cheaper than other places. They had alot of such little shops with everything in them and there we could buy really fine shoes to 2/3 of the normal price. Fun, I just had to Google earth it and it still looks interesting :-) Thanks for sharing this interesting shot and for the amusing narrative, I also enjoyed alot.
durleybeachbum
I must go an take a pic of Greens, our equivalent. Superb interesting pic and a delicious ramble round your mind.
bimm3d
wonderful shot!!
jac204
As always great capture and story.
danob
How cool! The old country may have bedrooms older than countries but not many older camera shops
flavia49
fantastic image! and wonderful text
Orinoor
Funny, I love old stores and always go in, no matter what they are selling (well, within reason). I love to see how much of the old counters and rafters are still there, speaking their history to those who bother to look. As for the novel, I've found while it is great to finish, it's much harder to sell it. You might say finishing the writing is just the beginning.
ralphwarnick
Love the tale, the photo makes my eyes dance, most excellent.
sandra46
FASCINATING URBAN SHOT
beachzz
Let's see, Tara saw the sign, Andrew sees the ancient land, and what do I see? Well, aside from the obvious, I see Betty Page and her evil, sultry twin/doppelganger. I have no idea why, but that's what jumped out at me. It's the same kind of thing that happens when I see/hear/smell something that reminds me of something else. Am I making any sense at all? Probably not. But oh well, this is a great shot of one of those timeless places. You have to go in one of these days!!
evielouise
when I go into a place like thi s lots in San Fransico--I spent too much money lol great story and photo
Butchpfd
Ah, the old Chicago that I remember visiting with my grandparents as a kid! Here and there when I visit, I find landmarks like this; I remember those times..However Central Camera is right with the most modern of us with their web presence and listing of high end digital cameras. Very evocative photo..thanks
wysiwig
First Chip congrats on making this week's gallery. Well deserved with this outstanding, iconic, image. The sign alone would make a great picture. In answer to Tara's comments, neon signs have been around since 1910. Downtown Los Angeles used to be filled with these smal, locally owned shops with their old inventory and dusty shelves owned by several generations of the same family. Almost all gone now. I would definitely go in and buy something even if its just some photo paper. These places need our support to survive. The alternative is cold gray "progress".
Katraz
Congratulations on getting in the gallery, this shot brings back memories of long gone junk shops packed full of stuff that only the enthusiast photographer or collector needs or wants,I could get lost in there for hours they would probably think I worked there,and I would definitely spend a fortune. Its time you got in there and looked around you will probably find something you didn't know you wanted, you could also take us all down memory lane and take some pictures of the place, just think the likes of Ansel Adams or some other Icon of photography my have walked those floors, and don't forget If you happen to bump into Betty Page give her a hug and a kiss from me.
moochagoo
Very moody picture and interesting story about that shop.
CoreyBlack
Actually 1899 was 112 years ago. I do archival work, I can't help it: sorry.LOL This is a great shot in and of itself, and also brings back my own Columbia College days. I think your friends were more interesting than mine. I still find it somewhat funny that we were going to the same school at the same time and ended up figuring out years later that we had a mutual friend in common and still never met each other at the time. I remember being in this store several times, and in fact, bought the new Nikon FE3 upgrade to my original 1973 Nikormat there in 1989. Great store, great staff, and everything you could possibly imagine in stock. At the time it was just an old building( like so many in Chicago in the Eighties) with a cool old sign. All these years later, it stands out as a true classic. This is a great shot, and congrats on last week in the gallery!
TomDart
Chip...if you do go in...will you ever come out? Credit the city. Without that a wonder like this place could not survive.