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Once upon a time in a city by a Great Lake, there were five, large, photo specialty stores. These stores stocked and sold the gamut of color and black & white film; color and black & white, film developing chemicals; darkroom equipment; photo equipment and supplies; photo mounting material; and instant, single- lens reflex, twin-lens reflex, view and vintage cameras. As such, amateur photographers and professional photographers had a wide selection of stores from which to choose their material. As of April 3, 2013, only two, photo specialty stores remain—Central Camera Company and Helix Camera & Video.
Central Camera Company, which is at 230 S. Wabash Avenue in Chicago, Ill., is Chicago’s, oldest, camera store; they opened their doors in 1899. In 1899, the only available cameras were large, cumbersome, heavy, view cameras. These cameras used sheet film and flash powder. Very few people could afford to purchase these cameras.
Helix Camera & Video, which is at 310 S. Racine Avenue in Chicago, Ill., opened its doors in 1963. Helix currently sells nationally and internationally. Several years ago, Helix was closer to the Chicago downtown area on Jackson Boulevard.
Photoworld was a photo specialty store on Franklin Street between Randolph Street and Madison Street. This store was smaller than Helix Camera & Video and Central Camera Company. However, because of its limited space for stock, customers could make purchases quicker and check out quicker.
Bob Shutan founded Shutan Camera store in 1918. In 2008, Shutan Camera moved from 312 W. Randolph Street in downtown Chicago to Vernon Hills, Ill. Having shopped their often, in my opinion, tourists made more photo purchases from this store than they did from any of the other, four stores.
Standard Camera was a photo store at 750 N. Rush Street in Chicago, Ill. Currently at this location is Wolf Camera & Video. Wolf Camera has the bare minimum of darkroom equipment or no darkroom equipment at all. However for those who need digital cameras and accessories, Wolf Camera is a store nearby to Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.
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