Coronet Eclair Lux |
Version française |
Manufactured or assembled in France from 1952 to 1955.
Index of rarity in France: Infrequent (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 454
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.
In France, Coronet box and folding cameras were very present from 1933. They were initially English models, but specific models for France appeared quite quickly. The 1937/38 Tiranty catalog announces that the annual production of the brand is 1,000,000 units, including 200,000 in the French factory located in Pantin. Some "French" models differ from the English models only in terms of decoration details, so it is impossible to know if the cameras marked "made in France" are all real productions or sometimes local assemblies.
The names of some models were registered by Tiranty, including Polo and Bobox, which were registered by the Société Anonyme Spécialités Tiranty, located at 103 rue Lafayette in Paris, on June 12, 1936 at the Commercial Court of the Seine.
Coronet box cameras were sold until the mid-1950s. They were made of cardboard and/or metal, more rarely in Bakelite. The quality of those made of cardboard or metal was quite mediocre. The technical characteristics were modest and did not evolve much in 20 years, which makes it difficult to establish a precise chronology. They are almost all in the 6 x 9 cm format. The handle can be an element of classification and determination of origin.
Handle type 1: Curved metal rod.
Handle type 2.1: Diagonal leather (or faux leather).
Handle type 2.2: Diagonal leather (or faux leather) with rings.
Handle type 3: Longitudinal leather (or faux leather).
Handle type 4: Metal diagonal.
Handle type 5: Longitudinal plastic.
Years | Format | Manufacturing location | Material | Type of handle | Lens | Misc. | ||
Plate camera | ||||||||
Box à plaque |
c.1932 | plate 6,5 x 9 | Great Britain (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | n/a | Comes with a developing kit | ||
with a single viewfinder | ||||||||
Box N° 2 |
6 x 9 | Great Britain (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | 1 | ||||
Box N° 1 (La Tortue) |
c.1935 | 4,5 x 6 | Great Britain (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | 3 | 127 Film | ||
with a two viewfinders | ||||||||
- |
c.1933 | 6 x 9 | Great Britain (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | 2.1 | |||
- |
c.1933 | 6 x 9 | Great Britain (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | 2.1 | |||
- |
c.1935 | 6 x 9 | Great Britain (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | 2.1 | |||
- |
1933 | 6 x 9 | Great Britain (no indication on the camera) | 2.2 | Distance adjustment (sale in France) |
|||
Ajax |
c.1933 | 6 x 9 | Great Britain (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | 2.1 | With close-up lens | ||
Alliance |
c.1945 | 6 x 9 4,5 x 6 |
Made in France | Cardboard | 4 | Meniscope (Tiranty) |
||
Ambassador |
c.1950 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Metal and bakelite | 5 | |||
B.20 Box |
c.1934-38 | 6 x 9 | Made in France | Cardboard | 2.1 | Ménisque Boyer | ||
B.20 Box |
c.1934-38 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Cardboard | 2.1 | Meniscus | ||
Bobox (Coronet de Luxe) |
c.1947-48 | 6 x 9 4,5 x 6 |
Fabriqué en France | Metal | 2.1 | Meniscope (Tiranty) |
||
Bobox (Coronet de Luxe) |
c.1947-48 | 6 x 9 4,5 x 6 |
Fabriqué en France | Cardboard | 2.1 | Meniscope (Tiranty) |
||
Bobox |
c.1936-38 | 6 x 9 | Made in France | Cardboard | 4 | Meniscope (Tiranty) |
||
Bobox |
c.1936-38 | 6 x 9 | Made in France | Cardboard | 4 | Meniscope (Tiranty) |
||
Box |
c.1940 | 6 x 9 | Great Britain (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | 3 | |||
Box N° 2 |
c.1937 | 6 x 9 | Great Britain (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | 1 | |||
Box N° 2 Diadem |
c. 1935 | 6 x 9 | British manufacture | Cardboard | 2.1 | |||
Box N° 2 Varsity |
c.1935 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Cardboard | 2.1 | |||
Box Spring |
c.1936-38 | 6 x 9 | France (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | 4 | Meniscope (Tiranty) |
||
Box-Bill |
1933 | 6 x 9 | Great Britain (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | 2.1 | |||
Captain |
c.1950 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Metal and bakelite | 5 | With close-up lens | ||
Consul |
c.1950 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Metal and bakelite | 5 | |||
Crown Camera |
c.1936-38 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Cardboard | 3 | Variantes sur détails mineurs | ||
D.20 Box |
c.1934-38 | 6 x 9 4,5 x 6 |
Made in England | Cardboard | 2.1 | Meniscus | ||
Every Distance |
1933 | 6 x 9 | Great Britain (no indication on the camera) | Metal | 2.2 | Distance adjustment | ||
Every Distance |
1933 | 6 x 9 | Great Britain (no indication on the camera) | Metal | 2.2 | Distance adjustment | ||
Every Distance |
1934-38 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Metal | 2.2 | 14/104 mm | ||
Every Distance |
1934-38 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Metal | 2.2 | 14/104 mm | ||
Every Distance |
1936 | 6 x 9 4,5 x 6 |
Made in England | Metal | 2.2 | 14/104 mm. | ||
Every Distance 16 |
1936-38 | 6 x 9 4,5 x 6 |
Made in England | Metal | 2.2 | 14/104 mm |
Presence of a filter | |
Fildia |
1942-52 | 6 x 9 | Made in France | Cardboard | 4 | Meniscope (Tiranty) | Presence of a filter, a diaphragm, and Time exposure Presence of a ring around the lens |
|
Fildia |
1942-52 | 6 x 9 | Made in France | Cardboard | 4 | Meniscope (Tiranty) | Presence of a filter, a diaphragm, and Time exposure | |
Le Polo |
1936-49 | 6 x 9 4,5 x 6 |
Made in France | Cardboard | 4 | Meniscope (Tiranty) |
||
Luxibox Olympic |
6 x 9 | France (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | 4 | Meniscope (Tiranty) |
|||
Luxibox Olympic |
6 x 9 | France (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | 2.1 | Ménisque Boyer | |||
N° 2 Box Portrait |
c.1935 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Cardboard | 2.1 | Meniscus |
With close-up lens | |
N° 2B Nustyle |
c.1945 | 6 x 9 | British Manufacture | Cardboard |
2.1 | |||
O.20 Box |
c.1934-38 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Cardboard | 2.1 | Meniscus | ||
Photo Box |
c.1936-38 | 6 x 9 | France (no indication on the camera) | Metal | 2.1 | Meniscope (Tiranty) |
||
Photo-Box |
c.1936-38 | 6 x 9 | France (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | 4 | Meniscope (Tiranty) |
||
Photo-Box |
c.1936-38 | 6 x 9 | France (no indication on the camera) | Metal | 2.1 | Ménisque Boyer | ||
Photo-Box |
c.1936-38 | 6 x 9 | France (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | 2.1 | Ménisque Boyer | ||
Portrait |
c.1938 | 6 x 9 | Great Britain (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | 2.1 | Presence of a close-up lens Several colors. |
||
Portrait |
c.1938 | 6 x 9 | Great Britain (no indication on the camera) | Cardboard | 2.1 | Presence of a close-up lens Several colors. |
||
Rex |
c.1937 | 6 x 9 | Made in France | Cardboard | 2.1 | Ménisque Boyer |
||
Rex |
c.1937 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Metal | 2.1 | Meniscus | ||
Rex |
c.1937 | 6 x 9 | Made in France | Metal | 2.1 | Ménisque Boyer |
||
Rex |
c.1950 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Metal | 5 | |||
Rex Camera |
c.1937 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Metal | 2.1 | |||
Rex Camera |
c.1937 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Cardboard | 2.1 | |||
Toni-Box |
1933 | 6 x 9 | Great Britain (no indication on the camera) | 2.2 | Distance adjustment (sale in France) |
|||
Toutes Distances |
1934-38 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | 2.2 | Focus 14/104 mm | |||
Toutes Distances |
1936-38 | 6 x 9 4,5 x 6 |
Made in France | Metal | 2.2 | Boyer 14/104 mm |
Presence of a yellow filter | |
Toutes Distances Luxe |
1936-38 | 6 x 9 4 x 6 |
France (no indication on the camera) | Metal | 2.1 | Meniscope (Tiranty) |
||
Toutes Distances Lux |
1936-38 | 6 x 9 4 x 6 |
Aucune indication | Metal | 2.2 | Focus 14/104 mm | ||
Xcel |
c.1936-38 | 4,5 x 6 | Made in England | Cardboard | 2.1 | |||
With flash synchronization | ||||||||
Super-Flash |
c.1950 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Metal and bakelite | 5 | |||
Conway synchronised |
c.1950 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Metal and bakelite | 5 | With close-up lens | ||
Rex flash |
c.1950 | 6 x 9 | Made in England | Metal and bakelite | 5 | With close-up lens | ||
Box Eclair |
1950-51 | 6 x 9 | Made in France | Cardboard | 5 | |||
Eclair Lux |
1952-55 | 6 x 9 | France (no indication on the camera) | Metal | 5 | Meniscope (Tiranty) |
__________
Although the Coronet company was strictly British, this 1950s camera should be classified as French, as the French importer of the Coronet brand, Tiranty, had chosen for about twenty years to manufacture English cameras under license, sometimes modifying them to the point of creating new models. This is the case here.
The box formula was already nearly 30 years old, but still very popular in the 1950s (although it was the swan song). Like Goldy did with its series of colorful boxes, Tiranty rejuvenated the concept by giving this metal box a very eye-catching front face. The name of this box comes from its flash synchronization (the pins are visible on the right side of the camera).
While not rare, this camera tends to become less and less common in flea markets. The bright red of its front face attracts the attention of bargain hunters, even those who are not camera collectors.
When acquiring this camera, it is important to check that the handle (made of plastic) is not broken and that the metal parts and viewfinder mirrors are not rusty.
Interesting links or bibliography :
Sur mes-appareils-photos.fr, suggested by Eric Carlhan |
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