All those cameras captured by its ‘great grandbaby’ the smartphone – 11.16.15

After morning was spent walking around to discover steel rod installations and murals around town, I had some more relaxed early afternoon at a museum on the same street as my hostel – one I learned about on that same day.

PENANG’S CAMERA MUSEUM is a recently opened two-storey venue for exhibition of vintage cameras. Compared to most museums, its specificity in its collection makes one’s visit more intimate and not as intimidating. This worked as an advantage on my end as unlike previous visits to museums so overwhelming that I almost always end up hungry or with some headache (and I rarely get one!), this was palatable.

What greets you

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My experience with cameras is limited to digital one when I was in college followed by an attempt to play more with an DSLR a few years back until there were smartphones and action cameras. My visit to the museum is then more of the visual pleasure and an awe at the basics.

Located in an old building in Muntri Street, the museum takes up two storeys with the actual museum on the second floor while the first houses the unmanned entrance (at that time) and a cafe. As such, the recommended path for the ‘tour’ is from the second floor down.

Exhibition Hall

My first impression of this space is fascination how they managed to compress within the room a rather comprehensive history of cameras since the 1900s. Again, there is little I know about its history and how it has evolved but I did enjoy seeing the transformation – in levels ranging from the aesthetic to functional up to accessibility to the common people.

Most of the cameras were housed in glass and typically accompanied with descriptive labels, some with sample photos taken using such camera as well as news and ads about it then. The collection includes cameras from the folding ones to Brownies to film to digital ones including some flash bulbs as accessories. While most are in display, there are some units at the center table which guests can ‘experience’.

An overview of the hall

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At a certain time, cameras looked like musical instruments

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And at an earlier point, people can already take selfies

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Finally a camera for the ‘common’

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What’s inside a brownie

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This one just looked like an amplifier

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Folding camera

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35mms

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Another film camera different in form than most vintage ones we know today

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Most expensive as a prototype to 35mm film cameras

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Endorsers as early as then

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Cameras not just for everyone, fun cameras came in eventually

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Before lomography are actual Dianas

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and Leica

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Then it was digital

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Cameras even went underwater – as in with this Weathermatic

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Flash bulbs

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This one looks like some glue gun

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Brownie with flash

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This one looks like a robot – a heavy one at that

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More like the modern DSLR

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Polaroid!! *drools*

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Century-old 3D

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Subtle selfie

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Filmfest

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Obscura Room

Next to the Exhibition Hall is a room which shows how images are formed.

Based on this set-up, one can see how that image is being mirrored on a lens on that rectangular table

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Spy Cameras

There is a room dedicated to cameras for espionage – with collection ranging from the discreet to not so.

Spy icon

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Spyware

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World’s Famous Photos

Next to the hall on spy cameras, there is a hallway where the world’s most famous photos are. I spent quite some time here, taking photos of photos. Across the wall are windows adorned with photos on film – exposed to the eye with light from outside.

As with the world’s famous photos, there are many but here are what I liked more.

Some humor is also felt in this area as there are some comic strips and photos making fun of how cameras and film have changed over the years.

Dark Room

At the other end of the hallway is the dark room. I could not be sure whether the guided tour let guests experience actual film development. As for me who went solo, it was merely a terrifying experience – well, because it was dark and everything looked red.

A red-themed room indeed

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Pinhole Room

This room allows one to feel how it is like inside a camera. It is essentially a literally dark room with a hole on one side of the wall. As the light comes in, an image is projected on the wall opposite the one with an opening.

Unclear but this is image is what was projected

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The pinhole room is the last attraction on the second floor. This leads to a path outside with stairs leading directly to the cafe.

This umbrella reminded me of How I Met Your Mother

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The Cafe

On the far end from the entrance is a place for cafe and some light food. There is also a souvenir stall on one side. As I am not a coffee person and I was not hungry either (yep, the museum did not overwhelm as to make me feel that), I didn’t hang out there. Just by looking though, it felt like a place for being alone and some chat among small groups. Judging by this board on the wall with notes as well, the place seems to have its share of guests who liked the place.