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Au Bon Marché La Tzarine |
 Version française |
Manufactured or assembled in France from (Before) 1903 to (After) 1903.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 20123
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Au Bon Marche
Au Bon Marché is a large department store, which became a luxury store, founded in 1838 and located on the left bank of Paris. It still exists but has been called Le Bon Marché since 1989.
In the field of photography, Au Bon Marché was a distributor, meaning that the department store sold cameras under its own brand that were manufactured by third parties without changing their specifications, but by masking the references to the manufacturer and changing the name of the model, including that of the lens. The cameras sold by Le Bon Marché don't always have a name; they often have to make do with a type (such as a view camera, detective camera) followed by a number or their format.
The Tzarine is likely a Chambre noire pliante N° 4, complete with a lens and shutter. The engravings of the models may differ in the presence or absence of a spirit level, but it's known that engravings do not always reflect reality.
The shutter is always the Thornton-Pickard curtain shutter, but the lens is chosen by the buyer and affects the selling price. It's worth noting that the catalog description mentions a shutter "at the back"; this refers to the back of the lens, not the camera itself, as confirmed by the drawing.
The possible lens options are:
1. Hermagis aplanastigmat
2. Goerz Double-Anastigmat f/7.7
3. Zeiss Krauss Unar f/6.3
The name "Tzarine" could be explained by the Franco-Russian friendship, particularly the visit of the Russian imperial family to France in 1901.
The Tzarine is also sold with a 12 plates holder, without a change in its name.
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