|
Au Bon Marché L'Instantané N° 1 |
 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: 4157
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.
This small magazine box camera, measuring 6.5 x 9 cm, is listed in the 1903 catalog under the name L'Instantané N° 1 with various variants: with or without focusing and the presence or absence of a spirit level. The presented specimen has focusing and a spirit level, making it the more elaborate variant. It was sold for 25 francs.
The mechanism proves that it is a Pipon manufacture, a fact confirmed upon examining the buttons and accessories.
The characteristics are very typical for this kind of camera: a selector for Time (B) and Instantaneous, adjustable speeds (from 1 to 6) by varying the tension of a spring, an iris diaphragm graduated from 16 to 44, and focusing from 3 meters to infinity. The viewfinders are of a clear type, with the front lens engraved with a reticle. The lens, an Achromatique Extra-Rapid, is likely the weak point of this camera. The plate-changing mechanism is simple and efficient. With a pull of a lever, one finger releases the exposed plate while another holds the next plate. Upon returning the lever to its resting position, the finger holds the plate in the focal plane. The rest of the equipment includes a handle and two Congress-threaded tripod sockets.
The quality of the Morocco leather covering this camera is a testimony of the manufacturing quality.
Interesting links or bibliography :
Add a link or element of bibliography, a picture taken with this camera, a picture of box or an ads about this camera
Your photos taken with the same camera:
Cameras from Ebay France (Au Bon Marché) (Uploaded each 3 hours)