Historically Important Cameras
Anzoux & Francois
Cartes-de-Visite Camera from 1876
Bellieni Chambre a joues camera.
Butcher, England.
Royal Mail Stamp Camera
1910
Contessa Nettel Deckrullo Tropical Camera
E.Fancais, Paris
Kinegraph 9X12cm from 1876
French Double-Box Daguerrotype
8.5 X 11.5cm
from 1845
Gandolfi Tropical Stereo Camera
Goltz Mentor Reflex
6.5 X 9cm
from 1904
Hermagis, Paris.
Micromegas 13 X 18cm
from 1875.
Hermagis, Paris.
Velocigraph 912cm
from 1890
Loman & Co, Amsterdam.
T 1 Reflex
(Quarter Plate)
from 1895
London Stereoscopic.
King's Own Tropical Camera
Newman & Guardia.
Nydia 9 X 12cm
from 1900
Photosphere 13 X 18cm
Prototype
Napoleon Conti's
By Compagnie Francaise de Photographie (Paris)
Photosphere 9 X 12cm
Sigriste, Paris.
6.5 X. 9cm with
f3.6 Planar lens
from 1900
Sigriste, Paris.
Eurygraph 9 X 12cm
from 1900
Spencer, Glasgow
Wet PLate Camera
from 1856
Voigtlander Bergheil
Deluxe 4.5 X 6cm
Zeiss Ikon Tropical Nettel Stereo Camera
.
Zecaflex (Germany)
6 X 6m
from 1937
Plaubel Makina 111R
(Germany)
from 1930
Adolph Bertsch (Paris)
Portrait Chambre Automatique de Bertsch.
Wert Plate Camera
from 1860
Ernemann Stereo-Heag X11
from 1908
Boissonas, E.V. (Swiss)
"Escopette"
68 X 72mm film
from 1890
Bourguin Camera
Quarter plate Daguerrotype
from 1845
Lewis Style Daguerrotype
Quarter plate
from 1848
Maison Dubroni (Paris)
Stereographe Dubroni
13 X 18 dry plate
from 1880s
Charles hevalier (Paris)
Chavelier Appareil Universal No.1 Camera
Half plate Daguerrotype
From 1856
Camera Obscura (French)
4 X 4inch image
From 1840
E. Deyrolle (Paris)
"Scenographe"
11 X 16cm Dry Plate
from 1880
Lumiere Freres (Paris)
"Periphote"
7 X 38cm Rollefilm
from 1901
Romaine Talbot, GmbH
Berlin, Germany.
"Raderkanone"
Image: 1 inch diameter on Ferrotype plate
from 1912
Samuel A.Bemis (attrib)
Full Plate Box Camera with leveling legs
Daguerrotype
from 1840
Thompson's Revolver Camera
Made by A. Briois (Paris)
Wet plate camera from 1862
Ermanox 4.5 X 6cm
By Heinrich Ernemann AG
(Dresden, Germany)
Dry Plate Camera from 1924
Ermanox 9 X 12cm .
By Heinrich Ernemann AG
(Dresden, Germany)
From 1924
Folding Camera
Ben Akiba
By A. Lehman (Berlin, Germany)From 1903
Williamson Aeroplane Camera
Williamson Manufacturing Co.
(London, England)
From 1915
Aerial Camera
Hill's Cloud Camera
By R&J Beck Ltd.
(London, England)
Dry Plate Camera
from 1920
Tika Pocket Watch Camera
By Houghton's Limited
London, England.
From 1904-1914
Herzog Amateur Camera
By August Herzog, N.J.
From 1882
Photo-Revolver de Poche
By E. Enjalbert (Paris)
From 1882
Omnigraphe
By E.Hanau (Paris)
From 1887
Stebbing's Automatic CameraBy E.Stebbing (Paris)
From 1883
Demon Detective Camera #1
American Camera Co.
England.
From 1889.
Westbury View
By Scovill Manufacturing Co.
New York.
From 1886
Express Detective Nadar Tropical Camera
By Paul Nadar (aris)
From 1888-1892
Lancaster's Patent Watch Camera
By J. Lancaster & Son
(Birmingham, England)
From 1886
Makina (Model 1)
Plaubel & Co
(Frankfurt, Germany)
Folding camera
From 1920
Spido (Reportage" Gaumont
L. Gaumont & Cie ( Paris)
Folding Camera from
1925-1936
This page was last updated on: October 18, 2009
AEG Wolkenkamera (Germany)
1930
Zeiss Ermanox Klappkamera
6.5 X 9cm
From 1927
Zeiss Tropen Deckrullo
6.5 X 9cm
From 1927
Zeiss Contessa Nettel
Sonnet Tropical 6.5 X 9cm
From 1923
Plaubel Makina 11
From 1933
Henry Fox-Talbot
1800-1877
Kine Exacta (Round Magnifier)
The first 35mm SLR
A Stereorollei Prototype.
Sold in Jan 04 for $30,000
Luxus Leica Gold Plated version with Lizzard Skn covering. Only 95 were made between 1929 and 1931.
Edison projecting Kenitoscope
1897
Art Nouveau magic lantern
Bermpohl color nature camera
Bertsch metal camera
13 X 18cm
Camera Obscura.
Chevallier, Paris
Hot air powered
Kinematofor
Ica Reika strut folfing camera
Jumelle styled photo luvre
Large wooden magic lantern
Leschner astronomical tele camera
Magic Lantern Ernst Plank 1850
Marion & Co Soho
Tropical Reflex
Peepshow box Martin Engelbrecht 1750
Phantasmagorian magic lantern
Professional long focus
triple lantern
Stirn concealed vest camera
The Newtonian Science Lantern
Schaeffner Paris
strut folding camera
Thompson revolver camera 1862
Sold at auction on Oct 1.05 for US$63,000
35 mm Movie Camera Debrie Interview, 1924
Cast-Iron Mutoscope -Indian Head
Cinematograph and Magic Lantern Excelsior
Exceptional Tailboard Camera (8 x 10 cm), 1885
Camera and Projector Olikos, 1912
Special Astronomical Lechner Zeiss Teleobjectiv.
Geheimkamera - Spy Camera Le Minuscule, 1900
Houghton Watch-Face camera 1912
Praxinoscope Kinematofor by Ernst Plank, Circa 1900
Polyorama Panoptique,
Circa 1850
Stereo Photosphere
13 X 18cm. 1892
Magic Lantern Buddha by Aubert, 1879
Magic Lantern Lapierre Frères Lampadaphore, 1880
Magic Lantern Lapierre Medaillon, Circa 1880
Hasaselblad Lunar Surface
Zeiss Super Ikonta 531/2
c.1953
Zeiss Ikon Cocarette III Luxus 522/17 c.1928
Zeiss Ikon Piccolette 545/12
1930
Rolleiflex 2.8F Platin
1984-1990
Rolleiflex 2.8F Aurum
Gold Plated Anniversary Edition 1920-1995
Produced from 1982-1984
Rolleiflex 2.8F Aurum
Gold Plated Anniversary Edition 1920-1995
Produced from 1982-1984
Chambre Bois 13 Tourist Camera
Contessa Nettel Stereax Camera-
1920
Contessa Nettel Stereo Camera
1920
Dallmeyer Universal Sliding Box Camera
Ernemann Multicolore Camera-
1901
George Carrette Magic Lantern Factory--1895
Henry Clay Stereoscopic Camera 1892-1899
Lapierre "Lanterne Carreee"
1880
Leica R4 with Clock Face lens
Meopta Pankopta Panoramic Camera from 1962
Nicca Nicnon Binocular Camera
1970
Pair of Disolving Magic Lanterns--1865
Rectaflex Rotor Outfit
1952
Voigtlanders Stereoflectascop
1929
The Littman Tropen "Hog Ranch" Kamera
Littman Tropen Kamera Type K
The Littman Tropen Kamera Type S
Featured Camera: Blending the old with the new. The Littman Tropen Kamera
Rollei F4 Wide in 24K Gold and RED
This may not qualify as a historical camera yet, but it will be in the future.
Click for information on the Littman Tropen cameras
All of the cameras displayed on this page played a part in photographic history. They represent the ingenuity and passion of their designers and makers. They are beautiful to look at. And most of us will never have the chance to see them never mind hold one in our hands. Why? Because the vast majority of these cameras are stored away in private and corporate collections. In a corporate collection such as the Eastman Collection, one can see them, but you would need to be in New York. What a great pity that these masterpieces are hidden from view. Therefore, I herewith present images of historically important cameras for you to feast your eyes upon. They are not in any particular order. They are simply a collection of images of cameras that I consider works of art, and not all of the cameras are antiques. You will find some emerging technolgies that blend the old with the new.
Photography Started Here
The Camera Obscura
The principle of the camera obscura has been known since ancient times. When light from a brightly lit scene passes through a small hole into a darkened room, an inverted image of the scene is cast onto the opposite wall. The smaller the hole is, the better defined-but the dimmer-is the image. If a convex lens is fitted into the hole, a brighter, clearer image is produced.
