Antique Photographic Equipment - 19th Century
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| LOT 2 Le Daguerréotype Susse Frères A previously unknown sliding box Daguerreotype camera for 167x216 mm (“full-plate” 6.5x8.5 inch) exposures, manufactured in 1839 according to instructions by Daguerre. Soft wood, stained black, brass fittings, a manufacturer’s label is affixed to one side with the legend: «LE DAGUERRÉOTYPE, D´aprés les Plans officiels déposés par Mr. DAGUERRE au Ministére de l´Interérieur. SUSSE Frères, 31, Place de la Bourse». The doublet lens by Chr. Chevallier (brass mount engraved by hand : No.3) has a focal lenghth of 382mm. At the front of the lens is a cylindrical brass mount that functions as an aperture as well as a swivelling brass plate that serves as a shutter. On the lens cap is an inscription: «DAGUERRÉOTYPE, SUSSE FRÉRES, 31, Place de la Bourse». The rear sliding box has two doors that open to the inside. These can be closed from outside thus making the camera lightproof during the insertion of the plate. The doors and the interior of the camera are lined with black velvet, the door-closing mechanism and the hinges are made of brass. There is also a holder for photographic plates or for a frosted-glass screen on the rear of the camera. The overall, original condition of the camera is exceptionally good and it has never been restored. It was originally owned by Prof. Max Seddig (1877-1963) who was the director of the Institute of Applied Physics in Frankfurt am Main and, among other things, godfather to the founding of the Josef Schneider Optical Works in Kreuznach. Seddig gave the camera to his assistant, Günter Haase, as a present. The latter was later Professor at the Department of Scientific Photography at the University of Frankfurt and, from 1970 on, occupied the Chair for Scientific Photography at the Technical University of Munich. Prof. Günter Haase died on February 20th 2006 at the age of 88 and left the camera to his son, Prof. Wolfgang Haase. Numerous experts attest that it is very likely the oldest commercially-produced camera in the world. The following expertise by the well known specialist for early photography and author of numerous books on the subject, Michel Auer, is included: "I examined the camera very carefully and took all the measurements to compare it with the Daguerre camera sold by Giroux – the dimension are identical. The body is made of lime wood and the black paint is original. The printed paper label, which is attached to the left side is a lithography. I have dismantled and examined the optical system, a doublet, and specified it’s focal length, which is, as expected 382mm. The brass mount of the lens is engraved by hand: “No3” and “III”. The camera was produced 1839 and is in original condition. It corresponds in every detail with the plans that have been deposited by Mr. Daguerre at the French Ministry of the Interior. To my knowledge this camera produced by Susse Fréres is the only of it's kind in existence." (Authorised English Translation of the original French text) In addition to this unique Daguerreotype camera comes the extremely rare German manual entitled: ‘Praktische Beschreibung des Daguerreotyp’s’, published by Georg Gropius, Berlin 1839, 12x20cm, 24 pages, with 18 illustrations on 5 plates showing the apparatus for the production of daguerreotypes in accordance with Daguerre´s invention. Attached to the rear cover of the booklets are two handwritten notes from the early 1840´s in German concerning details of the process.Condition: B- Year: 1839
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| LOT 3 Original Ground Glass for a Voigtländer Metal Camera, 1841 Lot consisting of the ground glass for a Voigtländer metal camera and the first printed description of this type of camera dating from 1841. The ground glass holder is a lathed brass ring (diameter 10cm), one side is cut with a fine thread to attach to the cameras body, the other side is made to take the focusing-cone which holds the magnifying glass. The holder and the etched glass are in very good original condition. Along with this extremely rare camera part comes a copy of the book 'Verhandlungen des niederösterreichischen Gewerbevereins' published in Vienna (Austria) in 1841. This publication is a collection of lectures which were hold during the monthly meetings of the trade commission of Lower Austria in 1840. Two of the numerous articles deal with the newly invented Voigtländer camera the revolutionary portrait lens by the Austrian mathematician Josef Petzval. The first bulletin by Andreas von Ettinghausen is titeld 'Bericht der Abtheilung für Chemie und Physik über den Voigtländer'schen Apparat zur Erzeugung photographischer Porträte' and is a proposal that Voigtländer should get the silver medal for his outstanding achievement, the second is a detailed description by Friedrich Voigtländer with an a printed illustration on a separated leaflet pasted into the rear book cover. The outside of the book is quite worn, but the text part and the folded leaflet are in good condition.Condition: B Year: 1841
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| LOT 4 Hermagis Daguerreotype Lens early brass lens engraved 'HERMAGIS Opt'n Fab't Bte Paris, aperture slot, rack & pinion focusing, height 16cm, in good condition, ex collection Prof. Max Seddig co-founder of Schneider KreuznachCondition: B- Year: c.1850 Serial no. 15834
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| LOT 5 Daguerrian spirit burner blue and white porcelain with floral wreath decoration, height 10.5cmCondition: B Year: c.1850
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| LOT 6 Sliding Box Camera daguerreotype camera for exposures on 1/4 plate, varnished wooden body, attached brass lens with rack and pinion focussing, brass lens cap functions as shutter, the lens is engraved ‚AE Trade Mark’, wooden ground glass holder, two original film holders. The camera is complete and in unrestored original conditionCondition: B Year: c.1855
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| LOT 7 Secretan Sliding Box Camera 1/1 plate, beautifully crafted early sliding box camera made of wood, dovetailed, the wooden base is embossed “Secretan Paris”, the brass bound lens with rack and pinion focussing is engraved: 'LEREBOURS et SECRETAN á Paris’, the brass mount shows use but the lens is perfectly clear, comes with the matching brass cap. Marc Francois Louis Secretan was professor of mathematics at Lausanne before he moved to Paris and, together with Nicolas Marie Paymal Lerebours, founded their company in 1845. The company was famous for optical instruments and produced spectacles, telescopes and microscopes. Lerebours is known as one of the very early photographers.Condition: B- Year: c.1855
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| LOT 8 Sliding Box Stenope Camera simple, but quite unusual and rare wooden pinhole camera for 167x216 mm (“full-plate” 6.5x8.5 inch) exposures, the central pinhole is mounted in two concentric turned wooden rings, the larger one ebonized, the smaller one of light brown hardwood, attached to a metal chain the lid is made of turned bone, the dovetailed box is nicely crafted and can be used either in landscape or portrait format - this is indicated by small pads made of bone which are attached to two sides of the camera, comes with a focusing screen (later adaption).Condition: B Year: c.1855
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| LOT 9 Deyrolle Scenographe strut folding camera for single or stereo exposures 10x15cm, walnut body, outfit in fitted wooden contemporary box, simple brass bound lens, cap, replica green bellows, brass tripod socket, brass wire finder, two wooden, one metal replica struts, darkslide, ground glass focusing screenCondition: B Year: c.1876 Serial no. 808
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| LOT 10 Enjalbert, France Le Touriste 13x18cm, dry-plate, polished walnut body, integral magazine for 8 plates, slot and pin mechanism plate position selector with a Rapid Rectilinear brass bound lens, a scarce folding camera manufactured by Prevel and retailed by EnjalbertCondition: B+ Year: c.1880 Serial no. 1203
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