Browne's Photo Center ~ The Used Case And Junk Drawer

This was taken when the store was still located on the corner of N.W. 79th St. and 22nd Ave. before Browne relocated "up town" to Biscayne Blvd. and 82nd St. He stocked a great selection of films, papers, and chemicals, but before the move the place was noted for the selection of used stuff because Brownie was just getting in to carrying new Mamiyaflex and Graflex. The Rollieflex, Hasselblad, Nikon and Leica franchises came a bit later. Norman Frank (pictured) knew the merchandise and could tell you what you'd need for some special job. There was always a selection of used enlargers on hand, big 4x5 Omega D-2's and Beselers, small Dursts, the occasional Leitz Focomat, and that's where I came by my Kodak Precision as well as most of my collection of timers, tanks and reels, baseboard easels, all that stuff, and cheap too!

Those drawers behind Norman, and the boxes on the bottom shelf in the showcase, were filled with "junk" that Brownie bought when he "bought everything" from some retiring photographer or perhaps his widow. You could paw through them and hopefully find that oddball filter, adapter ring, or synch cord you were looking for, or perhaps find somethig you really had no use for, but what the hell, the price was right. Someday you'd be kicking yourself if you had let it slip by.

This photo was shot with a Pentacon-Six using the 50mm f/4 Flektagon (I think).