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Compagnie Française de Photographie Photosphere N° 2 |
 Version française |
Manufactured or assembled in France from (Before) 1888 to (After) 1902.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 13561
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Compagnie Française de Photographie
On November 24, 1888, Napoléon Conti filed a patent for a Appareil photo-sphérique pour la photographie (spherical camera for photography). This patent was filed for 15 years and was supplemented in 1890, 1892, and 1897.
The patent begins with these words:
This invention relates to a portable photographic camera that I call a 'photospheric camera' due to its shape.
and continues with the following description:
The camera obscura of the metallic photospheric camera consists of a rectangular part A ending in a hemispherical dome B, equipped with a ferrule a in which the lens b is fixed. Inside the dome is a spherical-shaped shutter C with an opening h. This shutter operates by means of two buttons, c and d, where button c is used to cock the shutter and the other to release it. The metal frame of the camera is equipped with a guide piece e for the rod f, which controls the shutter operation; this rod has two notches i corresponding to two shutter positions into which the end of a spring g fits.
To cock the shutter, one pulls button c downwards to engage the spring g into one of the notches i. The rod f, which is connected to the shutter piece c by an arm h, moves a small lever m attached to the shutter C. To release the shutter, one simply presses button d, which is fixed to the spring g by a rod k; pressing this button causes the spring to leave the notch i, and the rod f, pulled upwards by the spring n, operates the shutter. The shutter speed can be adjusted by tightening or loosening the spring n using the nut o and screw v to which it is attached.
Inside the rectangular part A is a wooden frame D, and the rear of the camera is closed by a metal plate E lined with cloth or velvet on the inside; the double holder containing the sensitive plates to be exposed is placed between the frame D and plate E.
The metallic construction of the camera as described makes it particularly suitable for use in the colonies. It was indeed used during Captain Binger's expedition to the center of Africa by Marcel Monnier, who brought back several hundred photographs (Source: Gallica).
The camera comes in several formats:
| Size (cm) | |||
| N° 1 |  |
8 x 9 | |
| N° 2 |  |
9 x 12 | |
| N° 3 |  |
13 x 18 | |
| N° 4 | 9 x 18 | Stereo | |
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The Photosphère No. 2 is in the 9 x 12 format. It is presented here with a metal magazine loader.
Interesting links or bibliography :
 La Nature de 1899 |
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