The Reicka is a folding plate stereo camera developed by Emil Wünsche from Dresden. The camera supports 10x15cm glass plate negatives and filmpacks. Emil Wünsche started a photography store in 1887 with the name Bedarfsartikel für Fach- und Amateurphotographen in Dresden. He sold rebranded cameras of Hüttig and products from the companies he acquired earlier. From 1896… Continue reading Wünsche Reicka
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Ernemann Heag IV
The Heag IV is a large folding plate stereo camera developed by Heinrich Ernemann from Dresden. The camera supports 9x18cm glass plates as well as filmpacks. The abbreviation Heag stands for Heinrich Ernemann Actien Gesellschaft and was used for a series of folding cameras and stereo cameras. The Heag IV was produced between c.1908 and… Continue reading Ernemann Heag IV
Smith, Beck & Beck book stereoscope
The Smith, Beck & Beck book stereoscope is based on Joseph Beck’s patent of 1859. It’s designed for viewing stereocards and stereoscopic images that are mounted in a book. The stereoscope was very successful and around 3000 devices were produced until c.1890. It’s probably the most complete book stereoscope ever produced. The two prismatic achromatic… Continue reading Smith, Beck & Beck book stereoscope
Smith, Beck & Beck table-top stereoscope
A table-top stereoscope. manufactured by Smith, Beck & Beck from London. It’s designed for viewing stereocards and glass stereoviews. At first glance, this stereoscope looks like a multi viewer, but in fact it has more in common with a handheld stereoscope mounted on a base plate. The base plate folds into its storage box which… Continue reading Smith, Beck & Beck table-top stereoscope
Photographie Vulgarisatrice Nº 402
A beautiful and rare French folding camera for 9x18cm glass plate negatives, manufactured by Photographie Vulgarisatrice. Photographie Vulgarisatrice was founded in 1886 and located at 6 and 8 Rue des Petites-Écuries in Paris. The last found trace dates from 1914. Vulgarisatrice means Popularizer or Promoter. The company’s goal was to make photography accessible to amateurs with simple and affordable cameras. It developed a series… Continue reading Photographie Vulgarisatrice Nº 402
Zeiss Jena Verant
The Verant is a stereoscope that supports multiple stereoview formats.The stereoscope has a solid metal construction and is manufactured by Carl Zeiss from Jena. Zeiss Jena (not to be confused with Zeiss Ikon) developed various models of the Verant over the years. An early model supports 9x15cm stereoviews and was manufactured from c. 1905. It… Continue reading Zeiss Jena Verant
Stéréo-classeur Hemdé – Série I
The Hemdé Serie I is a table-top stereoscope for viewing 45x107mm glass stereoviews. The device has a mahogany finish and consists of two parts: a viewer and a cabinet for storing slide trays with stereoviews. There is room for 12 slide trays to store a total of 300 stereoviews. The front shows the Hemdé logo and a… Continue reading Stéréo-classeur Hemdé – Série I
Le Polyphote
Le Polyphote looks more like a common multiple view stereoscope than Lucien Bize’s other designs Minimus and Multiphote. A 1910 advertisement[1] lists the Polyphote as a new device, so it’s assumed that this is the year of its introduction. The device was available for 45x107mm and 6x13cm glass stereoviews. The viewer uses a slide tray for 25 slides.… Continue reading Le Polyphote
Le Multiphote
The Multiphote is designed by Lucien Bize and introduced in 1908[1]. It’s a further development of the Minimus and adds a slide-tray to place and catch the slides. It’s a slightly bigger device compared to the Minimus, but it simplifies replacing the slides. Multiphotes were manufactured for the 45x107mm and 6x13mm format. The top cover of the… Continue reading Le Multiphote
Le Minimus
Le Minimus was patented by Lucien Bize and Simeon Louis Claparede in 1907[1]. The device was announced a year later, together with the Phoenix (or Phénix) and the more advanced Multiphote[2]. The Minimus was introduced for the glass stereoview formats 45x107mm and 6x13cm. The Minimus doesn’t have an advanced mechanism and was therefore compact and… Continue reading Le Minimus