Acme Novelty

 I worked for the Centennial Commission in 1967, Canada's Centennial year, on Caravan 7.

We were one of ten caravans across the country comprised of ten tractor trailer units which could be formed up into an interactive display of Canadian history from stone age to the then present day. Caravan 7 travelled throughout Alberta and into the Yukon and Northwest Territories. While travelling, many of us mailed our photos to be developed to the Acme Novelty Company in Edmonton. They developed the film and sent the results back along with a roll of undeveloped film.

Acme Novelty brings to mind Wile E. Coyote opening a new Roadrunner trap from Acme. We laughed about that in those days but still, Acme provided a good service. I had my photos made into 35mm slides at that time and through almost a year of travelling, accumulated quite a few hundred slides. When I returned to Vancouver, where there was also an Acme Novelty branch. I went there to buy a slide projector. 

I can't now remember what else Acme sold, wholesale and retail, but they had a large camera department. I was there just before the Christmas season and was probably wearing my Centennial Commission blazer, wine coloured with the Canadian government logo in silver wire on the pocket (wowee). I made my projector purchase and as I exited the store, the manager ran after me and asked if I wanted to work in the camera department. How often does that happen? Certainly never nowadays.

I worked there over the Christmas season selling cameras. I sold more Konica cameras than any other because that was what I used and was very familiar with it. I still have that Argus projector but a while back I scanned my slides into digital form. Slide projectors and film cameras, indeed film itself, have all gone the way of the dinosaur. I'm probably on that track myself.