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Mackenstein Francia Pliante série VIII
France Version française
Photos by JPP text by JPP et Sylvain Halgand. From the collection of José Paula. Last update 2022-09-24 par Sylvain Halgand.

Manufactured or assembled in France from 1905 to (Circa) 1927.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 4065

See the complete technical specifications

Chronology of cameras Mackenstein 

The Francia Pliante series VIII consists of a series of focal plane shutter cameras manufactured in parallel with the Francia N° 7 (mono) and N° 8 (stereo-panoramic) jumelle-style cameras.

The first camera in the series was delivered in 1901 and had a body imported from Goltz and Breutmann Mentor, apparently equipped with an Ernemann focal plane shutter. In 1903, Mackenstein began manufacturing folding cameras based on their own patents for focal plane shutters, starting with the 'boss' plate shutter that would be used in these cameras for a few years, during which minor progressive modifications were made to the shutter controls. In 1905, Mackenstein delivered the Francia Pliante série VIII-, which was actually a camera imported from Emil Wunsche, the Victrix.

FranciaAround 1908, Mackenstein started equipping these cameras with their "L'Indéréglable" plate shutter, not cocked in winding, (patent of 1907 383733A pages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). The earlier version then became the Francia Pliante series VIII-B. The "L'Indéréglable" shutter would continue to be used in the Francia Pliante series VIII cameras until the early 1930s, then under the Suffize & Molitor brand. There is some confusion in the use of the name "L'Indéréglable," which is often used for the camera, even though it refers only to the shutter reference. This confusion may arise because the shutter name appears while the camera bodies are often unnamed. In catalogs from various distributors, the camera may be called "Klapp Reportage."

The camera was manufactured in various formats, including stereo, and was designed to have tensioners of different lengths for different focal lengths. Tropical models were also made. The Francia Pliante series VIII did not undergo significant changes throughout its production, except for the shutter, between 1903 and the 1930s. The later models under Suffize & Molitor had features similar to other French folding reportage cameras of that period (such as the Gaumont Spido Reportage or the Lorillon à Foyer Fixe), with large frame viewfinders and distance scales on the front.

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This camera is consistently called the Francia Pliante on Mackenstein catalogues, and the first where it first appears is apparently in 1905. It is absent form the 1900 and 1902 catalogues. In the c.1905 catalogue the emphasis is on the ‘new’ focal plane shuter, L’Indéréglable’ (the ‘foolproof’). It is said on the catalogue that the new shutter could be mounted in the Francia cameras, either rigid (jumelles) or folding strut (Pliantes). The figure shows clearly this folding strut camera. There has been however a generalized tendency to call the camera the name of the shutter. In the catalogue of 1913 the camera is called Francia Pliante Series VIII, while in the catalogue tentatively dated from 1927 the camera is not named, only the shutter, but one can see clearly in the drawing the name Francia. The confusion may be due to the fact that the shutter has the name written on it, while the cameras are often unnamed. In catalogues of different distributors the camera could be called as Klapp Reportage.

According to the figures from the Mackenstein catalogues the camera did not suffer much modifications along its production time. It is a typical folding strut reporter-type camera with single pleat black leather bellows, for 9 x 12 cm plates. The struts are articulated and give a high rigidity to the camera. A folding Newton finder and a bubble level are on the top of the casing.

The focal plane shutter is the self-capped L’Indéréglable, with control for spring tension of the right side where also the trigger and cocking knob are located, and the slit width selector wheel on the lower left side. It delivers speeds in the range 1/10 to 1/2000 seconds and T.

The lens is a C.P. Goerz Berlin Dopp-Anastigmat series 1B Celor of 135 mm of focal length and maximum aperture of 4,5.

Mackenstein Francia Pliante série VIII
Strut folding Mackenstein Francia Pliante 9 x 12


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Hermann Joseph Hubert Mackenstein was born on December 17, 1846 in Doveren, Westphalia. Orphaned at 13, he was taken in by his uncle and godfather, who has the same first names as him. He has an older sister Sophie and two brothers, Heinrich (1849-1875) and Franz (1854-1926)

From 1861 to 1866, he apprenticed with a carpenter and master apprentice near Dusseldorf. He left for companionship first in Aachen, then in Paris, but had to return to Prussia at the end of 1868 to be incorporated as a bugler in the 87th regiment in Mainz.
France having declared war on Prussia on July 19, 1870, Hermann will do the whole campaign, Wissembourg, Woerth, Phalsbourg, Sedan and the siege of Paris, from September 22, 1870 to January 27, 1871.

In early 1872, Hermann opened a carpentry workshop in Paris, 16, rue Cuvier, where he employed his brother Heinrich and two French workers. In 1875, he married Irhama Augusta Fontaine d'Ocq, with Henri Daniel Ruhmkorff as his witness (whose studio was taken over by Jules Carpentier). That same year, his brother Heinrich died at the age of 26. Around 1878, he subcontracted photographic cabinetmaking for various manufacturers, and went on to develop his own range of cameras, even exporting to England and Russia.

Member of the Société Française de Photographie in 1883, he lived at 15, rue des Carmes, with his studio nearby, impasse des boeufs. In 1897, he launched a photographic magazine, "Arc en Ciel", which ceased in 1915.

Arc en ciel 1897 In 1902, the Établissements Mackenstein S.A. were created, as well as a sales store at 7, avenue de l'Opéra. That same year, the range of binoculars was redesigned and the names Francia and La Francia appeared.
On August 21, 1914, the Board of Directors notes that following the state of war, and given the name of the company, the director dismissed the staff and closed the store and the workshop. It should be noted that at this time, the staff was made up of a dozen people, that certain customers, Jougla, Girard & Boitte requested specific constructions, and that on the other hand, Mackenstein imported camera boxes from Wünsche. On January 2, 1915, the property of Hermann Mackenstein, who nevertheless had French nationality, was sequestrated, and he and his family were expelled from France in May 1916. On November 7, 1916, the director, Mr. Cousin re -opens the store, every day from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. with the help of Mr. Léon Molitor (An indemnity of 2 F per day is allocated to the seller.)
In September 1918, the turnover was 9,977.30 F and in October, 12,171.40 F, which gives an idea of ​​the size of the stocks.

In February 1919, production resumed with new 9 x 12 folding cameras. In July, the salaries of the director and the foreman started at 800 F monthly. Marie Mackenstein, his daughter, returned to Paris in November 1919, but Hermann could not return until 1922. He died on March 24, 1924 at the age of 78.

In 1923, the company became Etablissements FRANCIA and Hermann sold the business to his foreman and his salesperson, Suffize and Molitor, who would continue to manufacture Mackenstein cameras.

Thanks to authors and contributors
(From "Dossiers Collector N ° 13" by Jean-Loup Princelle, based on the text by Frank Körfer published in the review of Club Daguerre and the book of the Board of Directors of SA Mackenstein (1903-1923) loaned by a descendant of Henri Suffize)





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