The Electroblog
Sam The Record Man
Posted by Damon Schreiber (Toronto, Canada) on 20 December 2006 in Cityscape & Urban and Portfolio.
In keeping with the theme of Landmark Toronto Signs of businesses that have seen better days... I give you Sam The Record Man which was at one time the place to find an LP record. Crooked floors, autographed gold records on the walls, the whole bit. Great place, but it used to be greater.
[Yonge near Dundas, Toronto]
amin from Orumiyeh(urmia), Iran
hi
thanks for your comment .
That is salt lake , near urmia sity in Iran .
urmia salt lake is a biggest salt lake in a world .
Its water is very good for leg swelling.
20 Dec 2006 7:53am
@amin: Thanks, Amin! For those who are curious, Amin is answering my question about this photo which is a true stunner.
wanganeges from concord, ma, United States
great shot ... they really don't make them like that anymore :o)
20 Dec 2006 10:45am
@wanganeges: Thanks, Wanganeges! I guess not, but in time and with enough longevity, even the new signs become classics. I think of the Citgo sign in Kenmore square...
@mara: Pretty much. When I moved here in the early 80's, there was another giant one next to it for AA records. It was a giant AA, but they're so gone.
@Zach Siebert: Thanks, Zach! Loved your parking lot people today!
MnX from PARIS, France
I like the overall composition. The only improvement I see (It's just because I recently read a photo magazine and I want to show off a little ;) )is cropping it in square and make the first "sam" sign complete in the square version of the photo. But, it would certainly alter the mood, so I don't know if it's worth the change...^^.
20 Dec 2006 3:15pm
@MnX: I kind of agree with you, Cyrille. There are quite a few ways to capture this building, and ordinarily, I think I would have favoured a more head-on approach. With this one, the dark background behind the first "SAM" at the top is not really part of the sign; it's just another building in the background. Where I stood was the only place where the background lined up neatly with the seam between the two signs. In the untouched image, you could see the whole SAM on the left, but I corrected the image a bit for perspective and barrel distortion, and as a result, the sign got cut off. I considered it a worthwhile trade-off, but I'd prefer to have both signs in their entirety.
Another trade-off I made was something I don't really like doing, but in this case I couldn't help myself: At the bottom left of the Van Heusen sign was a logo for Sears (the department store). I felt that it detracted from the image so much and destroyed any illusion of timelessness (it's a rather new logo), that I removed it in Photoshop. Ah, the sins of art...
Anyway, sorry to ramble, and thanks for the suggestion, Cyrille. I love thinking about this stuff.
Ned from Toronto, Canada
I agree with the write-up whole-heartedly. And I like your Toronto photos. You've got me interested in taking some outside pictures now.
20 Dec 2006 3:39pm
@Ned: Ooh, I hope the hamsters don't catch cold! But give it a try... I think I've posted a grand total of 2 indoor photos so far (not counting subways and train stations), but if it's a cold enough winter, I may do a lot more.
Trivia: This store and the sign dates from 1961 (I think there was only one Neon LP in those days). According to Sam's Web site, "Sam the Record Man quickly became the most recognized and most photographed structure in Canada. " Believe it if you dare!
Ned from Toronto, Canada
I apologize for the double post but I can't figure out how to undo the last one right now. I was just staring at this picture for a while longer and remembering when they actually cared about their giant record neon lights working properly.
20 Dec 2006 3:41pm
@Ned: Yeah, you can't undo the last one, but I don't mind!
(because it gives me a platform for) More Trivia: for a very very short time in the 90's, I worked in a restaurant owned by Sam The Record Man's son.
Craiger from Vacaville, United States
With just a few small modifications he could become Sam The CD Man! :0) Anyhow, good work by you!
20 Dec 2006 7:17pm
@Craiger: Check out the title. And for a short time, their movie section was called Sam the Video Man.
Thanks, Craiger!
@Aaron Schmidt: Thank you, Aaron! (perfect exposure = grey card shot to be 50% grey!)
Angry Buddha from United States
I'm glad to see that Sam doesn't like to advertise. What a shot. That's one helluva building front.
20 Dec 2006 11:26pm
@H.O: Arigatou, Hiro-san!
Karsten from Dresden, Germany
Really nice photograph. I hope I will have the chance to take a look at Toronto in the close future.
26 Dec 2006 9:22pm
@Karsten: Please come for a visit. I'll show you all the great signs :-)
Canon PowerShot G3
1/40 second
F/3.2
ISO 50
8 mm