Cette chambre, même si elle ne porte pas de marque, est en tous points conforme à la description qui en est faîte dans le catalogue émis par Soulé.

L'ensemble des ferrures en cuivre poli et la belle languette en cuir donnent à cette chambre d'atelier en noyer verni une certaine élégance, rehaussée par un objectif au fût de couleur noire et bagues en laiton. Ce dernier ne possède pas de marque d'identification, et son ouverture maximale de 8 demande beaucoup de puissance d'éclairage pour des séances de portrait. Toutefois, cet inconvénient est en partie atténué avec l'utilisation de plans-films de 400 iso.

Cet objectif est monté sur un obturateur Thorton-Pickard dont l'armement se fait par un petit cordon. Pour effectuer une prise de vue, il faut tirer le cordon à mi-course.( Lors du changement de rideau, il a été fait un petit repère rouge facilitant cette manœuvre) afin d'effectuer le cadrage et la mise au point. Ceci fait, il ne faut surtout pas oublier de tirer encore sur le petit cordon jusqu'au repère suivant afin de fermer le rideau et d'avoir ainsi armé l'obturateur avant d'ouvrir le volet du châssis préalablement installé.

La focale de cet objectif semble être au moins de 210 mm, car il n'y a pas d'effet de vignetage lors des possibles décentrements verticaux ou horizontaux. La qualité d'image est au rendez-vous et les flous des premiers et arrières plans d'une douceur agréable.

C'est sur la face avant que peuvent s'effectuer les décentrements verticaux et horizontaux.

Seul le corps arrière peut basculer verticalement, mais avec un angle deux fois moins important en basculant le corps vers soi ( en arrière) que devant. Cet inconvénient vient de la présence de deux petites vis destinées à recevoir les deux crochets en cuivre permettant la fixation du dépoli, aussi bien en position verticale ou horizontale.

A noter l'articulation du cadre de dépoli par une double charnière permettant d'écarter ce dernier du châssis une fois en place.

Les corps avant et arrière sont reliés par un soufflet en toile renforcée avec des coins en peau, dont l'allongement maximum est de 34 cm.

Le tirage peut être allongé de façon significative, ceci grâce à une base coulissante faisant office de rallonge.

J'ai acheté cette chambre à la bourse de Chelles en 2011, car elle était accompagnée d'un châssis d'origine. Et, comme un bonheur n'arrive jamais seul, en fouillant dans des caisses dissimulées sous les tables, quelle ne fut pas ma surprise de découvrir deux châssis aux dimensions similaires à celui accompagnant la chambre. Ne restait plus qu'à faire réaliser des entailles par la section d'ébénisterie d'un lycée professionnel afin de pouvoir les fixer au corps arrière.

Et me voilà avec une chambre centenaire opérationnelle, pour mon plus grand plaisir.

.

Notice on Maison D. Soulé, Bagnères-de-Bigorre, 1900

BAGNÈRES-DE-BIGORRE

Imprimerie et Librairie PÉRÉ
Place de Strasbourg

Foundation: 1862. - Maison D. Soulé was founded in 1862 by Mr. François Soulé, his father. It began with turning and working in wood materials abundant in the Pyrenees, particularly boxwood.

1878. - In 1878, Mr. François Soulé, taken away by a short illness, left the management of his small industry to his 15-year-old son, D. Soulé, the eldest of his four children. Forced to interrupt his studies in the industrial section of the Higher School of Commerce and Industry in Bordeaux, the latter took over the management of the staff under the business name Vve F. Soulé.
At that time, the factory employed about twenty workers in a space equipped with a hydraulic power source of about 12 horsepower.
Under D. Soulé's direction, this industry quickly progressed towards new branches such as electricity and photography, which were beginning to use items falling within the scope of its production.

Personnel. - At present, the factory occupies an area of 25,000 square meters, of which 6,000 square meters are occupied by buildings. The staff includes an engineer, three department heads, six foremen, five team leaders, and one hundred and fifty workers located on the factory premises, with about thirty working off-site and eighteen to twenty in the Barcelona branch. Metalwork, machining, stamping, and cutting take place in the main building.
The power source consists of a 35-horsepower Fontaine turbine, a 20-horsepower Hercule Singrunn turbine, and a 40-horsepower steam engine, with the furnace exclusively fueled by waste and sawdust from the factory.

Commercial Organization. - In 1889, a branch was established in Paris to serve customers in that city, followed by branches in Marseille and Lyon. Finally, in 1899, a subsidiary was founded in Barcelona, under the direction of Mr. Berrens, an engineer related to Mr. D. Soulé.
The Spanish market was largely dominated by Germans and Englishmen. Its proximity to the border had naturally led to business relations between the Bagnères-de-Bigorre House and this country. However, customs duties and the significance of transactions in this new industrial country required further steps.

Maison de Barcelone. - Therefore, a branch was established in Barcelona to distribute the factory's products, assemble disassembled parts, produce items whose importation was too costly, and conduct sales in the local currency and according to local customs; it had the effect of opening wider doors to French articles in Spain. Its turnover in the first year was five times that achieved by the French House alone the previous year, without this assistance.

Photographic Woodwork. - The company's initial foray into photographic articles was limited to accessories: stands, positive frames, drying racks, iceboxes, and other common items within the capabilities of an inexperienced workforce.
Soon after, floor stands of all sizes were introduced, followed by professional studio cameras, for the manufacture of which skilled craftsmen were brought in from Limoges and Paris; these items were then produced in the factory.
Sheet metalwork, bags, and casing were added to the company's product range. They are manufactured by special teams in factory rooms or at the homes of workers who have undergone prior training at the company, when their work does not require the power source.

Detective Binoculars. - Handheld cameras, detective cameras, and binoculars are also manufactured in-house, with the machining workshop specializing in electrical devices providing valuable assistance.
The shutter of the latest straight-line detective camera offers real advantages due to the speed of opening and closing of the curtains and the time of full aperture it provides during one revolution at any speed.

This recent creation deserves the attention of the Jury members.
The results obtained and the experience gained allow us to hope that this company established in the province will achieve its goal of reducing France's reliance on excessive imports from Milan or Dresden.
The economic conditions for manufacturing in the province suggest that this result may be achieved in the near future. In doing so, it will be fulfilling its role, leaving the Parisian production to create high-end, luxury, and perfectly finished cameras, while retaining the construction of everyday consumer articles for less affluent enthusiasts. There remains a fairly large field for it to satisfy its legitimate ambition.

Previous Exhibitions. - The House has never participated in an international exhibition. The first exhibition was held last year in Tarbes during a regional exhibition.
The Jury awarded it two Gold Medals and a Diploma of Honor.

Relief Fund. - Mr. D. Soulé has excellent relations with his staff. There has never been a strike in the company.
A relief fund, funded by the patron's donations, provides assistance in case of illness and offers retirement pensions to elderly infirm workers. Two pensions, one of 125 francs and the other of 250 francs, are provided to two elderly workers. One is afflicted with paralysis, and the other, due to age, is incapable of any work. Various forms of assistance amount to between 800 and 1000 francs annually.

Loan Fund. - Mr. D. Soulé was also the first to establish a Raiffeisen-type unlimited liability workers' fund in France. Established in 1893, this fund provides loans to member workers residing in Bagnères. It is administered by a board elected by them through suffrage. Its annual lending activity ranges from 3,000 to 4,000 francs.

Family Work. - Mr. D. Soulé seeks to establish home-based work within families, utilizing the abundant hydraulic power sources in the Pyrenees. Numerous meetings, the most recent of which was chaired by Mr. Sansot, an industrialist and former student of the Ecole Polytechnique, a member of the Chamber of Commerce of the Hautes-Pyrénées, have resulted in directing minds in this direction and convincing municipalities to establish these power sources for evening electrical lighting and daytime power distribution.
A group has formed that requests reduced rates for family workshops along with him.

He did not wait for this distribution to exist before organizing work at home, for types of work that do not require the power source. About twenty people are already employed in these conditions at their homes.