Don Canney

Notwithstanding professional photographers, when was the last time you’ve used a camera that was not on a phone? One that you would actually hang on a strap around your neck, or attach to a tripod or monopod? It’s been long enough for me that I cannot remember. My old 35mm Canon has been sitting in my closet since goodness knows when. Why? Because now, my more convenient phone can take a better picture plus I can crop the photo and edit it!

But I can remember the days when I’d get my old Polaroid Swinger out (now there is a relic, and I still have it too). That little white shutter box took black and white photos exclusively. I’d just point and shoot, press a button and wait for the film to exit the camera. Then, give it sixty seconds to develop, coat it with that nasty liquid they provided with each roll of film and be done with it! Good to go. Not exactly museum quality photos, but fun for most of us.

Or I would would use the old Kodak Instamatic for that “Kodak Moment” and then proceed to the local drug store or Fotomat to drop off the film for developing.

Remember Fotomat? They revolutionized film developing. Not to be confused with Fotomart, which was a locally owned camera and supply store on Main Street, Fotomats popped up at several locations in Nashua in the 1970’s and 1980’s. I frequented the one at the former Simoneau Plaza on Main Street. The tiny tiki-hut like structures spanned the US, mostly in parking lots of malls and shopping plazas. Offering both Kodak and Fotomat brand film, they introduced one of the original drive-up concepts, and allowed you to drop off film for overnight developing, which then, could take over week. You could buy replenishment supplies at the same time. Established in 1965, they were a tremendous convenience back then. Many of the structures still exist today, but as drive-up coffee kiosks.

Remember those tiny disc cameras? They’d use small circular discs to insert as film, which were much faster and more convenient than winding 35mm film. They kind of gave me flashbacks of my old GAF Color Viewmaster I had as a kid (with deference to Henry Fonda, who was once their commercial spokesperson). The disc in that marvel could instantly put you in a theatre and make you feel like you were roaming the prehistoric era or flying through space like George Jetson. And if you wanted the images to appear HD or 4K like, years before HD or 4K, just aim it towards bright light! Voila!

In 1979, Fotomat was also one of the first companies to offer video cassette rentals. Initially they charged up to $12.00 per title (nearly $40.00 today) but allowed you to keep the movie for five days.

Speaking of video cassettes, remember Blockbuster, the national goliath that helped put many of the local video rental stores out of business? In the 70’s and 80’s, it seemed like video rental stores dotted every street corner of the city. They were named every variation of the word video one could imagine, Video-Rama, Video-Mania, Video City, Video-to-Go, etc. Some, with limited selections, were even established within convenience stores and supermarkets. We were always urged to “be kind and rewind,” or we’d pay a hefty penalty for it. And just like the local library, there would be another penalty for late returns. Many stores eventually began offering memberships, which were more cost effective if you were a real movie buff.

Videocassettes were eventually taken over by DVDs and when pay per view, on-demand and streaming came along, it was curtains for all of them.

One lone Blockbuster remains in Bend, Oregon. It’s the last retail store using the Blockbuster brand. So, Blockbuster has shrunk from a dominating retail giant to a local tourist attraction. Apparently, there are still some VCRs and DVD players being used, and it appears they all reside in Bend, Oregon.

For the rest of us, we now just shout, “Alexa, play blah-blah-blah” or say “show me yadda, yadda, yadda” into a remote.

Don Canney is a freelance writer and professional voice artist. He was born and raised in downtown Nashua with great interest in Nashua history circa 1950-1970. He now resides in Litchfield.