Coronet Ajax |
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Manufactured or assembled in France from (Circa) 1938 to (After) 1938.
Index of rarity in France: Frequent (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 4115
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Coronet
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.
The classification of Coronet folding cameras can be quite challenging, and I have often given up during the process due to the many uncertainties. What can be said about Coronet folding cameras is that they are film cameras, typically in the 6 x 9 format, made of metal, and generally feature simple technical characteristics.
There are versions referred to as "Automatic," recognizable by the shape of the bellows, meaning that the bellows and lens assembly automatically deploy when you open the camera's front cover. Other versions have the lens mounted on a carriage that needs to be manually pulled forward for setup. The latter type of cameras is the most basic.
The geographical origin of Coronet cameras is either English (Birmingham) or French, following agreements with Ph. Tiranty. The brand's logo, a crown, can be found on models manufactured in France.
Production spanned three decades with minimal changes. The earliest models can be identified by the film advance wheel, which was quickly replaced by a key due to its impracticality. The more recent models may have elements made of plastic (possibly bakelite). The last English models had a metal hood that incorporated the viewfinder and shutter release.
The lenses may bear a brand name, such as Taylor Hobson in the UK or Boyer in France, or they may be unbranded. Many models have simple meniscus lenses (single-element). A significant number of models have fixed focus.
"De Luxe" cameras appear in catalogs, but identifying them can be challenging as the "De Luxe" designation does not always appear on the camera itself. It appears that the "De Luxe" designation mainly involves more attractive covering and enameled paint on the sides. "Toutes Distances" (or TD) models are those without focusing capabilities.
Some models have well-defined names that appear either on the covering or the shutter. These names sometimes have a specific meaning, such as Diafilt (Diaphragm and Filter) or Hyperfo (adjustable to hyperfocal distance).
Coronet folding cameras disappeared at the end of the 1950s, becoming obsolete.
Un premier Ajax, anglais, apparaît dés le début de la production des folding par Coronet, vers 1933. C'est alors un modèle assez luxueux.
Ce second modèle a perdu son faste.
Il affiche fièrement Made in France. Son ménisque Boyer confirme sa nationalité, au moins sur le plan commercial.
Les caractéristiques techniques sont minimalistes, même en dessous de certains box. Pas de mise au point, diaphragme fixe, vitesse unique (plus la pose simple curieusement marquée T.). La mise en place est toutefois automatique.
Les flancs et la poignée sont en métal verni noir, le reste gainé d'une fine toile. Un soupçon de luxe nous vaut la présence d'un viseur sportif pour compléter le viseur redresseur pivotant, et un petit disque venant obturer la fenêtre inactinique...
Il dispose de deux écrous de pied au pas du Congrès.
Les Spécialités Tiranty (importateur / distributeur de Coronet en France) ont déposé le 21 octobre 1937, au greffe du tribunal de commerce de la Seine (n°317 056), la marque "Ajax" pour les appareils photographiques etc...
![Coronet Ajax](../../Coronet/images/coronet_ajax-Boyer.jpg )
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