Note: I was honored to be gifted several cameras from Gordon’s collection. It’s also fitting that you learn a little bit about him. I think you’ll find that he is not unlike many of us who participate in this hobby of analog photography – we simply believe that it’s a craft worth preserving. And we hope that what we share might inspire future generations to enjoy it as well.
Gordon Gerland was born in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, in 1934 and lived there his entire life. A deeply generous and caring man, Gordon was well-known for his sense of humor and his avid love of film photography.
Throughout his 87 years, Gordon was able to find and appreciate the smallest details no matter where he went. It was that ability that inspired Gordon to carry a camera with him wherever he was, and in many cases, he would have at least two or three hanging off his shoulders at any given time. It’s almost impossible to picture Gordon without a camera in his hands, and those who knew him best learned from his photography how to appreciate the beauty in the everyday scenarios that many of us take for granted.
During his life, Gordon built up quite the impressive camera collection, having just short of 100 cameras by the time he passed away. From box cameras dating back to the early 1900s to classic SLRs such as the Konica Autoreflex series and modern digital point-and-shoots, from mainstay manufacturers such as Kodak and Nikon to more obscure ones such as J.E. Mergott and Houghton, his basement was a veritable camera treasure trove.
A scientist by trade, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Gordon also developed and printed much of his film himself in his home darkroom. Thousands upon thousands of frames accumulated over more than seven decades spilled out of cabinets and drawers everywhere in his basement, documenting his life and travels in black and white. The photos that he was proudest of and were usually on display, however, were those of his kids and grandkids.
Gordon had a very sharp mind and quick wit, and he was deeply knowledgeable about many things. Photography was no exception—he was meticulously dedicated to his craft, constantly reading and learning new ways to take better, more unique photos.
I only got to meet Gordon once before he passed away in February 2022—my now-wife, who is his granddaughter, and I started dating only a few months before that. And though I wish I got the chance to know him better and learn from him directly, helping his family sort through his collection of cameras and the thousands of photos he took has been a crash course in creativity and photographic excellence.
As we were sorting through Gordon’s cameras, Vintage Camera Digest proved to be an invaluable resource in helping us figure out what all was in the collection and fill in the knowledge gap that was left after Gordon’s passing. In that spirit, we felt it fitting that some of Gordon’s cameras be added to the VCD collection as a thank-you and as a way to share his love of photography with others who hold that same passion.
Although Gordon is no longer with us, his spirit and passion for photography lives on through his collection. We hope that in sharing some of his collection, you too will be able to feel the same joy and inspiration that Gordon had.
– Noah Brown, VCD community member
Vintage Camera Digest 