Cameras Recycled
Cameras are special. Everyday cameras live with families through the best moments, they travel with them and their trusted with the most precious thing of all…memories. At forgotten cameras my mission is to save these cameras, loved by their previous owners, and give them a new life. A new life doing what they were built to do, capture memories.
When I find a camera my first approach is to fix it, to use it as the photographic tool it was built to be. However, many forgotten cameras are not in working order. Most are not worth very much money at all.
Unfortunately in many cases the cost of anything more than the most basic repair can far exceed the value of a camera and, in a market flooded with these everyday heroes, it makes much more sense to simply find a working example.
In some cases they make beautiful display pieces as-is but not always, sometimes we need to think bigger…
From Recycling to Upcycling
In a world of disposable goods, planned obsolescence and a throwaway society these cameras are survivors. They have survived decades, sometimes a century, and to simply throw them away feels well…wrong,. No matter how little value the “market” assigns to them, they have a lived history, they’ve seen things beyond living memory, been places we can only imagine, been treasured companions for one or more family’s….they deserve to be saved.
So what do I do in these cases, I find a new use for them…one that creates value. Not to sell or profit, just to rescue these survivors and create some products for my home or as gifts with so much more meaning than anything you could buy. And what better antidote to our throwaway society than to create new out of old, no money and resources wasted on creating a brand new clock or lamp from raw materials.
I am no DIY expert, I have no relevant skills but with a little patience and ingenuity you too can find a way to make your very own….well whatever you want to make.
Inspiration
Below are some of my creations, from a century old box camera turned accent lamp to tabletop clocks from the best of eastern block engineering. I already have plans for everything from shadow boxes to book ends so watch this space.
I’ll add to this gallery as I create more, and maybe one day add write ups or tutorials on my efforts but in the meantime I encourage everyone to give it a go, you might surprise yourself in the outcome!
