The World's Largest Hasselblad in 1998

Big Blad on display at PhotoEast in 1998

by Skip Cohen

In 1997, one of the all-time best ad agencies, Kalmar Ad Marketing, had an idea for an inflatable Hasselblad that would join us at many of the photographic shows on the calendar each year. So, from the floor of WPPI to the "lobby" of Javits, Hasselblad University programs, and even a few dealer events, "Big Blad" made an appearance.

It was pretty remarkable. Built to scale, it was approximately 14 feet high and took only minutes to inflate and deflate. It had its own internal air compressor. It was a replica of a 503CW and was in storage for many years, including my garage. My Dad made a trip to visit us in Ohio in 2010; we took it out and blew it up in the driveway. That's our granddaughter, Belle and me.

Sadly Big Blad died of "respiratory failure" - the dampness and mold from storage for so many years did her in!

It's Throwback Thursday - take the time to find an old photograph and have friends join you on a trip down Memory Lane! It's a great way to keep in touch, especially during the pandemic.

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