The No. 402 Chambre stéréoscopique en noyer ciré is a rare stereo camera that was manufactured by Photographie Vulgarisatrice. This company had only a few stereo cameras in its product portfolio, which is remarkable given the enormous popularity of stereo photography in France from the 1890s to the 1920s. The 1893 catalogue contains one stereo camera and the 1905 catalog contains three cameras. None of the models supported the popular 45 x 107 mm stereoview format.
Specifications
| Manufacturer: | Photographie Vulgarisatrice, Paris |
| Year of introduction: | c. 1893 |
| Year of manufacture: | c. 1900 |
| Type: | Tailboard stereo camera |
| Serial number: | None |
| Negative type: | Glass |
| Negative format: | 9 x 18 cm |
| Lens: | Two achromatic F8 lenses |
| Serial number lens: | None |
| Lens aperture: | f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22, f/32, f/44, f/64 |
| Focus: | Yes |
| Shutter: | No shutter |
| Dimensions (L x W x H): | 23 x 19 x 15 cm (unfolded) |
| Construction: | Wood and metal |
| Other features: | Plate with Photographie Vulgarisatrice – 6 & 8 Rue des Écuries, Paris – Constructeurs d’Appareils. |
Glossary: achromatic lens / tailboard camera
Photographie Vulgarisatrice
Photographie Vulgarisatrice was founded in 1886 and located at 6 and 8 Rue des Petites-Écuries in Paris. 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 of wooden folding cameras with a single lens with the trademark L’Incroyable (The Amazing). In addition to its cameras, it offered a wide range of photography accessories, lenses and tools for developing negatives. The company published a monthly photography magazine called Le Vulgarisateur de la Photographie. It was published for the first time on 15 May 1892 and continued until 1910. Once a year it organized a photography contest for its subscribers. The last found trace of the company dates from 1914.