Finding Magic in an Old Blue Box

I love old boxes. In antique shops I can’t resist opening them because I’m always expecting a surprise.Not long ago, I spied a blue painted box on a shelf in a local antique shop. It sat between a basket and syrup bottle, and I carefully lifted it down. Obviously handmade, you could see how it had been nailed carefully together and that small brass hinges held the lid in place.

I opened the box and nestled inside was a well used Agfa box camera. Old and worn, but well-loved, I couldn’t put it back. Its metal front plate wore its scratches proudly.

Knowing that someone loved his camera enough to make a storage box to keep it safe, convinced me to take it home. It made me think about the cameras I value and while I’ve never attempted to build anything for them, I do try to care for them .I have taken a number of falls because I held the camera up high,letting my body take the impact, and I have a number of scars to prove it. The camera from the blue box feels good in the hands, and the box is  perfectly proportioned to the camera with no wasted space.

Although, I’m not sure that I’ll be shooting with it (unless I make one of the black tubes to shoot through the lens with my DSLR), it sits near my computer in my studio and reminds me to appreciate its story.I silently promise its former owner that I’ll care for it and keep it safe.

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