CAMERA, SINGLE LENS REFLEX

Description: 1. CASE. ABOVE DIMENSIONS. BROWN LEATHER BOUND CASE. HAS A LEATHER STRAP FOR A HANDLE; STRAP HAS A DETACHABLE HOOK ON ONE SIDE. CASE HAS A STEEL LATCH AND LOCK ON FRONT. ETCHED INTO LATCH IS "BRITISH MADE PAT APPD FOR". INSIDE IS LINED WITH BURGUNDY FELT. INSIDE OF LID IS DIVIDED INTO COMPARTMENTS. ONE SIDE OF LID IS COMING APART. 2. CAMERA. 16.6 X 16.9 X 16.0. CAMERA IS COVERED IN BLACK LEATHERETTE. ONE SIDE OF CAMERA HAS A LARGE HOLE IN IT (MISSING LENS). THIS SIDE EXTENDS OUTWARD WHEN A KNOB ON SIDE OF CAMERA IS TURNED. OPPOSITE SIDE OF CAMERA HAS A METAL PLATE THAT IS EMBOSSED WITH "KODAK 9X12 CM PATENT U.S.A. 1,933,823". ANOTHER SIDE OF CAMERA HAS A LEATHER STRAP IMPRESSED WITH "ICA REFLEX". THERE ARE VARIOUS KNOBS AND SWITCHES ON THIS SIDE OF CAMERA AS WELL, ALONG WITH A METAL PLATE THAT READS "SCHLITZ RAPID E.R.". 3. FILM PACK. 1.7 X 19.7 X 10.1. RECTANGULAR. ONE SIDE IS COVERED IN SAME BLACK LEATHERETTE AS CAMERA. A METAL LOOP IS ATTACHED TO ONE END OF A METAL PLATE THAT IS VISIBLE THROUGH A RECTANGULAR CUTOUT IN FILM PACK.

History: BELONGED TO DONOR'S FATHER, WILLIAM J. FRUET WHO OWNED A PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO (FRUET STUDIO) IN LETHBRIDGE, ON 5TH STREET SOUTH FROM 1939 TO 1963. HE WAS A SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHER FOR ALL SOUTHERN ALBERTA FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 YEARS. WILLIAM WAS ALSO KNOWN FOR THE NUMEROUS LANDSCAPES HE PHOTOGRAPHED OF THE AREA. MANY OF THESE WERE SEEN IN EXHIBITIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. WILLIAM WAS BORN IN 1906 IN ZURICH SWITZERLAND, WHERE HE WAS ALSO RAISED. HE CAME TO CANADA IN 1924 TO SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN, AND CAME TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1926. HE REMAINED HERE THE REST OF HIS LIFE AS HE CONSIDERED IT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN THE WORLD. STORY GOES THAT PEOPLE IN THE CITY (IE. MAYOR SHACKLEFORD) SUPPORTED WILLIAM TO GET A START DURING THE DEPRESSION. WILLIAM BEGAN HIS STUDIO WORK IN HIS EARLY 30S, AND RETIRED IN 1972. WILLIAM WAS A MEMBER OF THE CANADIAN LEGION, MINER'S LIBRARY CLUB, AND LABOR CLUB. DONOR'S MOTHER'S FAMILY (SKRUKWA) SETTLED IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA IN THE LATE 1800S. WILLIAM FRUET PASSED AWAY IN 1973 AND DONOR'S BROTHER (STANLEY) STORED HIS FATHER'S PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT WITH THE INTENTION OF USING IT. WHEN STANLEY PASSED AWAY IN MAY 2001, DONOR CAME INTO POSSESSION OF ARTIFACTS.