Several months ago, a dealer friend of mine referred me to this family in North Carolina who had a lot of old cameras. All I knew about the collection was that the collector had passed on, was a camera repairman, and that the family was looking to sell the camera items in his estate.

After a couple of months of back and forth between me and his children, Candie and Alex, by email and phone, I arranged to fly down and evaluate the collection. I arrived on a Monday at their door and for the next six days, I would take up residence in Gene’s old home, looking at everything he had accumulated over the years. It was a lot. There were literally hundreds of cameras of all kinds, and I soon made friends with the family.

I learned that Gene worked with his family at Linn- Corriher Corporation in Landis for many years until it was sold to Dominion Textiles in 1981. After he left Linn- Corriher, he worked for a while at a camera store in Charlotte, and then started his own shop, Corriher Camera Service, in Landis. He left the business at the start of the digital camera era.

Being a camera dealer and historian is like being an archaeologist of a sort. You can tell a lot about the collector by looking at the collection. Aided by stories from his children, I found that:

• Gene was a dedicated camera repairman. I found hundreds of bodies and parts, a full toolbox and plastic trays with labeled compartments. I plan to pass these on to camera repairers still working, since these items are not made anymore.
  
  
• Gene kept EVERYTHING. He wasn’t exactly a hoarder, but he was loathe to throw anything away. I found catalogs that were out of date 25 years ago, old work papers, tests he took in camera school, and my least favorite thing – old cases. If Gene was still alive, I would have asked him “Gene! Old cases? Really?” He would have laughed over our shared beers.
  
  
• Aside from repairing them, Gene had no personal affinity for modern cameras. They were something to work on to make money, nothing more - although he obviously took great pride in his repair work. He did not collect any of them.
  
  
• Gene had a deep and abiding love for antique cameras. In his personal collection, he had some of the rarest wood cameras I have ever seen. And he curated some of the best examples available. Some of them have already made it onto our website. Gene obviously appreciated the history of photography because his cameras dated back to the middle of the 19^th The family knew these cameras were special, and I spent an entire day evaluating and appraising fewer than 30 cameras.
  
  
• I suspect that Gene had a mild case of ADHD. While cameras and golf were constants in his life, he regularly cycled in and out of other hobbies. Gene also loved a good deal and the “hunt” frequenting flea markets with his small children who have distinct memories of these outings.

After many days of pricing, I spent two days boxing. Candie was an expert at finding quality liquor store boxes. Finally, everything boxed up, I rented a 26-foot U-Haul truck, loaded up, and began the long trip home to Philadelphia. The week was exhausting.

But what I will remember most about this trip is the time I spent with Gene’s children – Candie and Alex. We talked and ate together. They were great hosts. Part of what makes my job so interesting and so special is that I never know who I am going to meet and what I am going to find.

Don’t worry Gene, your treasures are going to good homes!