Click-clack. The sound of a single camera shutter release. Probably the Brownie Target Six-20 of my grandfather's. When I was born, or let's say when "we" were born, we were photographed, photographed a lot! I'm sure we were photographed as quickly as Kodak could ship rolls of film off the assembly line. You see, I'm a twin and being a twin in 1965 was a rare event. That's probably my first unconscious introduction to a camera.
My first conscious memory of a camera's shutter was during man's first step on the moon. My twin and I, sitting cross legged on the floor in front of the TV, my oldest brother, 11 years older, is snapping pictures behind us while Neil was taking one giant leap. Yes, he was taking pictures of a the television, flash and all. That was 1969.
My next vivid memories of cameras were the trips to the mountains, the smell of nature and the sound of not just a single shutter, but the clatter of an 8mm movie camera. HOME MOVIES! Then, the treat was going to my great-grandparents' home, eating apple pie, drinking half frozen coke in a glass bottle and watching movies. Not just the home movies my great-grandfather and grandfather shot, but 8mm favorites like King Kong, The Mummy and Frankenstein. I remember like it was yesterday.
As I got older, I was able to understand why, in the early 17th century, image projectors were called "Magic Lanterns". It was and is still truly magical. I have the old projector and the fold away screen. I open the projector today and can still smell the oldness... just like the room where we watched the movies. It was a dark study with pine walls... The room had an old nostalgic book smell to it. I remember the unraveling of the screen as my grandfather erected it, then, the "Magic Lantern" was set up on her pedestal of glory. The careful attention my grandfather gave to lining it up to the screen. The crackle of the 8mm film as he threaded the machine. Lights off. Silence. The flip of a switch. The clicking starts as the film rushes through the projector's teeth. Then, the moment we all waited for .... The First Flicker of Light.
