|
Richard Jules Vérascope |
 Version française |
Manufactured or assembled in France from (Circa) 1898 to (After) 1930.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 6850
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Richard Jules
Félix Richard was born in Lyon in 1809 from an old family of silk producers. He became a precision instrument maker and optician on Quai Saint-Antoine. In 1855, he moved to Paris and led a significant industry manufacturing barometers and pressure gauges. He served as a member of the government in 1870 and as the mayor of the 19th arrondissement. However, he neglected his business, and upon his death on July 14, 1876, his company was burdened with debt.
Félix-Max and Jules took over the company under the name Richard Frères (hence the acronym "RF"). In 1888, their brother Georges joined them until 1891. Jules then bought out his brothers' shares but retained the company name. Jules passed away at the age of 82 on June 18, 1930, holding the title of Commander of the Legion d'Honneur, a well-deserved recognition for his industrial activities, involvement in stereoscopy, and the establishment of an apprenticeship school.
As a passionate photographer, Jules Richard constructed a revolutionary stereoscopic camera in 1893. He was the first to understand the necessity of having lenses spaced apart to recreate a perspective that "renders the image in true size with depth." Another innovation was his adoption of a tiny format for the time, 4 cm by 4 cm, while the average amateur regularly used 13 cm by 18 cm.
Advocating for the small format, which was commercially successful, Jules nonetheless offered a series of Homéoscope cameras (1895-1904) to satisfy his friends and provide them with a high-quality camera in their preferred format, available in 8 cm by 9 cm and 6 cm by 6.5 cm, with or without a magazine, but in very limited quantities. Despite its initial simplicity, the Vérascope was an expensive camera due to its precision craftsmanship. To popularize stereoscopy in his favored format, Jules Richard introduced the Glyphoscope in 1905. Interestingly, three models were offered with the same technical specifications. In 1908, a special model for film packs was released. In 1927, a 6 cm by 13 cm model was introduced, which would have slow speeds by 1930. The façade of the Glyphoscope was detachable, allowing it to be used as a viewer.
In 1905, to satisfy the members of the Stéréo-Club de France, he offered a Vérascope in a 7 cm by 13 cm format, the maximum allowed by the interocular distance. Price and competition would reduce the sales of these models, but various increasingly sophisticated variants were still offered. A simplified model was presented in 1923, and in 1928, the Vérascope adopted the 6 cm by 13 cm format. In 1913, Jules patented the Homéos, the first stereoscopic camera using 35 mm cine film, but it was not available for purchase until 1920. He reaffirmed his interest in the small format, with the resulting images measuring 18 mm by 24 mm.
In 1931, the Stéréa 6 cm by 13 cm was offered in two versions, varnished wood or metal, but with the same technical specifications. Positioned between the Vérascope and the Glyphoscope, they entered a crowded market. In 1939, the Vérascope 40 was patented, using 35 mm film with a new image format, 24 mm by 30 mm, which would remain distinctly French. This modern camera was distributed in the USA by the Bush company.
La datation des Vérascope est toujours un casse-tête, cet appareil étant quasiment monté à la demande des clients à partir des pièces de base. Cela se complique encore quand ils étaient renvoyés à l'usine pour une mise à jour. Et comme les stéréoscopistes sont toujours des gens sérieux et soigneux, les variantes pour collectionneurs sont nombreuses.
Cet exemplaire a son magasin N° 7401, et ce N° est aussi écrit à l'aiguille dans la chambre noire. Le magasin est équipé du viseur primitif, qui permet de viser, mais pas de cadrer... Le compteur de vues est automatique lors du changement de plaques.
Le corps de l'appareil a été modernisé par l'ajout du verrou rabattable, et le loquet du magasin porte le chiffre 1, ce qui laisse supposer que le propriétaire en avait plusieurs. Le viseur reflex a lui aussi été changé, au lieu du petit dépoli, il y a maintenant un "viseur clair redresseur". Le trou servant de réceptacle à la broche est débouché sur le haut, et cette caractéristique était prévue pour recevoir une petite tige verrouillable permettant d'y fixer une courroie de cou. ( Accessoire rarissime jamais vu ailleurs que dans les catalogues).
Les autres caractéristiques sont très classiques pour un Vérascope. Il y a le sélecteur I - P et le bouton permettant de varier la vitesse, entre L et V (Lente et Vite). Une anomalie cependant, on note la présence d'objectifs de marque (Carl Zeiss Jéna) mais dépourvus de diaphragmes. Peut-être ont-il été ajoutés eux aussi lors de la modernisation. Preuve s'il en fallait de la qualité fournie par Jules Richard, les montures de la platine sont gravées aux mêmes numéros que les objectifs pour éviter les interversions lors du nettoyage des lentilles.
Marquage des objectifs : "S. II, f=54 mm D.R.P. Carl Zeiss Jéna N° 40600 - 40603"
Au catalogue, la maison Richard proposait de refaire l'argenture du boîtier, mais ici, le client n'avait pas pris cette option et le verrou apparaît beaucoup plus neuf que le reste !
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 (Richard Jules) (Uploaded each 3 hours)