The photo of the meat and potato family at left shows them each holding a different camera. Johnny is holding a Spartus 120 Flash or a Sunbeam 120. Suzy is holding a Spartafold V (there were no other Spartafolds so Herold was blowing smoke up peoples asses in the 1950's.) Mom is holding one of those god awful Spartus Press cameras and Pops is holding a Spartus Super RI.
My contacts at Herold have provided the following information. Johnny (real name: John Goldstein) grew up to be a second rate actor. His biggest role was as a zombie in "Topless Zombies from Hell." Herold lost track of him after he joined a small circus in Iowa.
Suzy (real name: Susan Fine) was the daughter of Larry Fine. Larry was famous as "Larry" of The Three Stooges. Suzy married Maurice Howard (Moe's son) and they operated a tire recycling plant in Butte, Montana.
Mom and Dad were Herold employees who won a "name the camera contest" and the right to appear on the cover of the Spartus 35. They both submitted the name "Spartus 35" for the camera that bears the name. Their real names have been forgotten.
The owners manual
has a number of "sample" photos that are designed to show off the
Spartus 35. Now, I can see "Baby's Bath." A cute kid gnawing on a wash
rag soaked in his or her own filth. But "Trip to the Country" eludes
me. Is it the scarf that makes it "country ?" The wind blown hair
? Is it the two ice cream cones she's hiding under her sweater ?Hey...wait a minute. Those aren't ice cream cones.
When I go to the
circus, which is never, I don't photograph the clowns. I think clowns
suck. No one laughs at a clown. Not really anyway. Some people laugh
because they feel sorry for the clown. They don't want to hurt
the clowns feelings and contribute to the clowns raging alcoholism.I think clowns are mean inside. Look at this guys eyes. That's a chainsaw murder for sure. And how the hell does that hat stay on his head ? Screws ? I'll bet he calls kids "little bastards."
When I go to the circus, which is never, I always avoid eye contact with clowns. I don't want them to come over to me and do that stupid shit they do.
Ronald McDonald is a clown. He's the king of stupid clowns.
This mint Spartus
35 is equipped with an unnamed zone focus lens. I suggested to Herold
that they have a lens naming contest for the Spartus 35 lens. I
submitted "Spartagon."There's a little wheel, that you can't see, under the lens. You can't see it because I forgot to photograph it.
The wheel is labeled "Dull" "Cloudy" "Hazy" and "Bright."
While using the Spartus 35, I gave much consideration to ascertaining whether it was "Dull" or "Cloudy" when exposing some of the frames below.
Derelict Railroad
Building
Track Switch and
Tall Grass
