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Coronet Midget |
 Version française |
Manufactured or assembled in United Kingdom from 1935 to 1939.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 10672
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Coronet
The Midget camera was introduced to the market in 1934-35 at a price of 5 shillings 6 pence and was also used as a gift in breakfast cereal packages. It's a small camera made of bakelite, weighing between 60 to 70 grams depending on the version. It's equipped with a simple 10/29 mm meniscus lens provided by Taylor, Taylor, and Hobson. The shutter is very simple, with a single speed (1/30). The film used is specific, a 16 mm coil, yielding 6 frames of 13 x 18 mm.
It comes in several colors (black, brown, lime green, olive, pink, red, blue). The base bakelite is black, and the other colors are achieved by mixing colored powder with the black base powder. Intentionally unevenly mixed powders result in mottled or marbled bakelite. This coloring principle and dosage variations multiply the results, much to the delight of collectors. Some colors, like blue, which appeared in 1937, are rarer than others. There are also variations in certain details, such as the front name inscription, the presence of a film press, the film advance mechanism, and the presence of lugs to facilitate opening the back. There's also a matching leather case available, but since it could be bought separately, mixed combinations are common.
The Midget camera was quite successful, probably more due to its amusing appearance than its average results.
In 1947, Coronet introduced a new model, the Cameo, with the same format but with horizontal shooting and a shutter speed of 1/25th.
Due to their size and film format, Midget cameras are sometimes mistakenly associated by broad-minded authors with spy cameras, although this was never the case.
Traduction de Daniel Clément.
Coronet is created in 1926 in Birmingham (GB) by Frederik John Pettifer who set up in March 1932 at 308/310 Summer Lane In the Aston area. Most of the products were gift oriented items or sold by mail-order selling companies.
After 1945, Coronet made trade agreements allowing Tiranty (Paris) to manufacture in France because of import restrictions.
These Cameras ( e.g. the Rapide, the Polo, the week-end or the Fildia) are showing the inscription “Made in France” . User manuals and inscriptions are in French language.
FJ Pettifer did specialise himself in cameras made of cast coloured bakelite . Helped in this task by a company also located at Summer Lane and managed by Edwin Elliott.
Coronet used to subcontract the body casting and the lenses to this company.
Coronet ceased its activities in 1967
The midget was released on the market in 1934-1935 at the cost of 5 shillings and 6 pence (35 francs in the year 1937 Tiranty catalogue) and used as gifts items inside packs of cereals for breakfast.
It was available in plain black, brown (wallnut), green lemon, olive green, rose (+ orange), red (+ orange or + black), the model was put on the market in 1937 and is considered as the rarer .
Nevertheless, the process for mixing the polymer and the colours was hardly reproducible and the colours use to fade with the time This is why the true Midget fanatics are searching for every possible sub-variations.
The camera was fitted with a simple meniscus lens opening to f 11 and produced by Taylor , Taylor & Hobson, DOF 1.5 m to infinite. Basic shutter offering 1/30 sec. Special 16 mm rollfilm giving 6 pictures sized 13x18 mm. Weight is about 60 grams depending on variations.
A “marocco” leather case was proposed, the colour of which was matching those of the camera body. But it could be bought separately. This was leading to frequent colour blends.
The Midget was a big success despite of the rather “average” quality of the results.
After the war, Coronet launched the Cameo with a same format
Coronet Camera was founded in 1926 in Birmingham, UK by Frederik John Pettifer. In 1932, he moved the company to 308-310 Summer Lane in the Aston district. In 1933, the company was renamed Coronet Limited. The production was significant, with 300,000 simple lenses being ordered from Taylor Taylor & Hobson in 1935!
Alongside the production of low-end cameras, such as box and folding cameras, F.J. Pettifer also manufactured cameras using colored Bakelite, with the help of neighboring company Edwin Elliott, which molded cameras and lenses for Coronet. Many of the cameras produced were "gift objects" or sold by mail-order companies.
During World War II, Coronet's workshops were destroyed by German bombings. Coronet was acquired in 1946 by Dufay-Chromax Limited and stopped all production around 1967.
Interesting links or bibliography :
| Sur Camera-wiki.org, suggested by Sylvain Halgand |
| Annuaire Tiranty, Paris, 1935, suggested by Sylvain Halgand |
| Pritchard, M, Saint Denny, D. Spy cameras. London, Classic Collection, 1993, suggested by Sylvain Halgand |
| British Journal of Photography Almanac, London, Greenwood Ltd, 1935, suggested by Sylvain Halgand |
| Channing, N, Dunn, M. British Camera Makers. An A-Z guide to companies and products. 1996, suggested by Sylvain Halgand |
| The Photographic Collectors’ Club International Ltd. : plusieurs articles de Photographica World, suggested by Jacques Bratieres |
 Popular Photography de 1938 |  Popular Photography de 1939 |
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