Au Bon Marché Chambre Noire N° 2 |
Version française |
Manufactured or assembled in France from (Before) 1903 to (After) 1903.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 20114
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Au Bon Marche
Au Bon Marché is a large department store, which became a luxury store, founded in 1838 and located on the left bank of Paris. It still exists but has been called Le Bon Marché since 1989.
In the field of photography, Au Bon Marché was a distributor, meaning that the department store sold cameras under its own brand that were manufactured by third parties without changing their specifications, but by masking the references to the manufacturer and changing the name of the model, including that of the lens. The cameras sold by Le Bon Marché don't always have a name; they often have to make do with a type (such as a view camera, detective camera) followed by a number or their format.
The Chambre Noire No. 2 is a Tourist-type camera, likely manufactured by Soulé. It is made of half-varnished walnut (1/2 varnished - referring to partial varnishing, likely a finishing style). Its bellows are made of leather, distinguishing it from the Chambre noire N° 1, which has canvas bellows. The camera is equipped with a spirit level.
According to the engraving, the rear part is pivotable, as attachment points are visible on the side of the rear part, a detail not specified in the catalogue. This constitutes a significant difference, as it allows for taking horizontal format photos by simply rotating the rear part and the bellows. This feature is accurately described for the Chambre noire N° 3. It is also possible that the engraver made a mistake in the illustration of the No. 2 camera.
The tail is foldable (flap supporting attachment points), which, once the bellows are completely folded, transforms the camera into a small suitcase easy for a tourist to carry.
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