Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

OLYMPUS AUTOMATIC

Date Range From

1988

Date Range To

2003

Materials

PLASTIC, NYLON, GLASS

No. Pieces

1

Height

5.9

Length

58.9

Width

4.8

Description

CAMERA, DARK GREY PLASTIC. CAMERA LENS HIDDEN BEHIND SLIDING PANEL ON FRONT OF CAMERA. FLASH AND VIEWFINDER TO PROPER LEFT OF CENTRE. MARKED, "OLYMPUS." AREA AROUND LENS MARKED, "ZUIKO 35MM 1:2.8, AF". BOTTOM OF CAMERA MARKED, "2040874, MADE IN JAPAN". INCLUDES RED EYE REDUCTION, "SELF TIMER", "FOCUS LOCK" AND SHUTTER BUTTONS. SWITCH TO RELEASE DOOR OF CAMERA STICKS. WHITE AND GREEN PAPER ADHERED TO BACK OF CAMERA.

Subjects

PHOTOGRAPHIC T&E

Historical Association

LEISURE

History

ACCORDING TO DONOR KEVIN MACLEAN AT TIME OF DONATION, "AN IDENTICAL OLYMPUS CAMERA WAS GIFTED TO ME BY MY PARENTS, MAC AND BARB MACLEAN, IN MAY 1987 IN RECOGNITION OF MY GRADUATION FROM PICTURE BUTTE HIGH SCHOOL (PBHS). THE CAMERA'S FIRST ROLL OF FILM WAS USED TO RECORD MY 'SAFE GRAD' PARTY ON THE JANSSENS' FARM WEST OF SHAUGNESSY, AB. TO THIS DAY, I STILL RECALL MY APPRECIATION FOR THE CAMERA'S AUTOMATIC NATURE THAT NIGHT. NOT ONLY DID ITS AUTOMATIC FLASH OVERCOME THE EVENING'S DARK SKIES, BUT ITS AUTO FOCUS OVERCAME MY INTOXICATION, PRODUCING MILESTONE IMAGES THAT WERE BOTH LIT AND, AMAZINGLY ENOUGH, SHARP TOO. THE EVENT WAS THE FIRST SAFE GRAD IN THE HISTORY OF PBHS. THAT SUMMER, I PERMANENTLY RELOCATED TO LETHBRIDGE. IN THE SPRING/SUMMER OF 1988, I RECIEVED A CALL FROM MY PARENTS WHILE WORKING AT THE LETHBRIDGE LODGE HOTEL. THEY INFORMED ME THAT DURING THEIR RETURN DRIVE FROM A HOLIDAY AT THE KANANASKIS LODGE, THEIR NEW CHERRY RED AUDI CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS DESTROYED INSIDE THE PARK GATES. THEIR CAR WAS STILL ROLLING (ALBEIT SLOWLY) WHEN THEY WERE FORCED TO JUMP TO SAFETY. THERE WAS NOT EVEN TIME TO CLOSE THE CAR'S DOORS OR TAKE THE KEYS OUT OF ITS IGNITION. ALL PERSONAL POSSESSIONS INSIDE THE CAR WERE LOST TO THE FLAMES, INCLUDING MY PARENTS' LUGGAGE, IDENTIFICATION AND CREDIT CARDS. UNFORTUNATELY, MY OLYMPUS CAMERA WAS BORROWED BY THEM FOR THE TRIP - I CANNOT RECALL WHY - AND, CONSEQUENTLY, IT TOO WAS DESTROYED IN THE CAR FIRE. MY PARENTS QUICKLY REPLACED MY CAMERA WITH AN IDENTICAL MODEL. THE NEW OLYMPUS (NOW DONATED) WAS IN REGULAR USE FOR FIFTEEN YEARS, CAPTURING MY WIFE AND MY LIFE UNTIL THE SUMMER OF 2003. THIS INCLUDED OUR LOCAL WEDDING AND EUROPEAN HONEYMOON (1994), NUMEROUS CAMPING TRIPS TO THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE ROCKIES, MY LOCAL UNIVERSITY LIFE, LOCAL AIR SHOWS, EMPLOYMENT (GALT MUSEUM), TRIP TO EUROPE (1992), HALIFAX (1996) AND OTTAWA (1996 AND 2001), FRIENDS AND DAILY LETHBRIDGE LIFE OVERALL. ITS LAST SIGNIFICANT USE WAS TO RECORD MY SUMMER TRAINING WITH LETHBRIDGE'S 18TH AIR DEFENCE REGIMENT (2002-2005), INCLUDING TWO COURSES IN THE CITY (BMQ (BASIC) AND DRIVER WHEEL) AND MY MEDIC COURSE IN EDMONTON. THE ADHESIVE REMNANT ON THE CAMERA'S REAR DOOR IS FROM A NATIONAL MUSEUM IN OTTAWA - VISITED BY ME IN 1996 AS PART OF THE COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT'S (SCOTT SWEETMAN) SELECTION TO PRESENT AT A NATIONAL CONSERVATION CONFERENCE. IN LATE 2002/ EARLY 2003 THE REAR 'DOOR' GASKET BEGAN TO FAIL AND SUNLIGHT BEGAN TO BLEED IN, EXPOSING THE FILM. IT WAS THAT DEVELOPMENT IN ADDITION TO THE IMPENDING BIRTH OF OUR NEW SON IN AUGUST 2003 THAT LED ME TO DECIDE THAT A NEW DIGITAL CAMERA WAS NEEDED IN ADVANCE OF THE BIRTH, BRINGING TO AN END THE REWARDING OWNERSHIP AND LOVE OF MY AUTOMATIC OLYMPUS CAMERA." FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20100020002

Acquisition Date

2010-05

Collection

Museum

Less detail