Perełki z WestLicht Photographica Auction No 22

W dniach 23/24 listopada 2012, tradycyjnie w Wiedniu, odbędzie się kolejna, już 22 aukcja sprzętu fotograficznego WestLicht Photographica Auction. Dla kolekcjonerów sprzętu fotograficznego to wydarzenie jest jak igrzyska dla sportowców. Przyjerzdżają grube ryby i wydają naprawdę ogromne pieniądze (to właśnie na tej aukcji sprzedano najdroższy aparat w historii o czym pisałem w jednym ze wcześniejszych postów). 

Zawsze z wielką przyjemnością przeglądam przedaukcyjny katalog. W tej edycji będzie naprawdę sporo perełek. Oto ranking 10 rzeczy, które najbardziej wpadły mi w oko. Moja wishlista jest warta około pół miliona Euro, a jak Wasze typy? :)

  

1. LOT 275 Alpa 11Si Gold  

possibly unique Alpa in gold painted finish (like the 10d) and gainè crocodile maroon covering, in very fine original and good working condition with matching all-black Kern Macro-Switar AR 1.9/50mm no.1114674 (cap), guarantee card, instructions and red maker's box with both matching numbers (code GOLDSILMAT, the gold plated edition of 160 pieces had the code GOLDSILBODY), made by special order or as a presentation camera

2. LOT 369 KMZ FS-2

super rare military sniper gun stock camera outfit made for the Red Army during WWII including specially adapted FED NKWD body no.170511, reflex housing no.1369 and matching KMZ 4.5/30cm no.1307 with hood, lens and reflex housing with some repaint

3. LOT 407 Carl Zeiss 5.6/1000mm Mirotar

impressive mirror lens by Carl Zeiss in original Contax/Yashica mount (total production by special order 22 lenses only), clean lenses, original fitted wooden box with 5 filters in special trayer and the support rod

 4. LOT 416 KGB F-21 'Apparat Nailon' Spy Jacket 

fully authentic spy jacket used by KGB agents, with built-in F-21 'Apparat Nailon' no.81694 (uses 21mm film, motorized, automatic exposure control, 2.9/28mm lens). The extremely silent camera takes pictures through a concealed button on the jacket and is operated with a mechanic shutter release cable which is hidden in the left pocket - from the famous Jack Naylor Spy Collection

 5. LOT 461 C.Tiranti Summa Report

rare Italian press camera for 6x9cm, with two pairs of lenses on a turret, complete with Schneider Angulon 6.8/65mm no.2496322 and Xenar 3.5/105mm no.2963577, original cassette

 6. LOT 477 L.Bloch Le Sherlock Holmes 

Edmund & Leon Bloch were specialists in disguised and hidden “detective” cameras. The best known of their cameras are the Physiographe cameras disguised as monocular and binoculars. Their Photo-Cravate is a classic, with the camera hidden behind a necktie. But the rarest of their designs is also the simplest. Le Sherlock Holmes is a magazine box camera disguised as a small briefcase. The camera can be operated with the briefcase held at your side. The shutter release is below the camera, totally out of sight, and a small lever at the rear advances the plates. Very rare. only a handful of examples known worldwide, nearly all in museums. This one is in completely original condition with no restorations - ex Jim McKeown Collection

 7. LOT 480 VALÉRY Photo-Étui-Jumelle 

Detective camera disguised as a binocular case. Patented in 1891 by Franck Valéry. The formed sheet-metal body is covered with leather. To use the camera, you open the cover of the “binocular case” and spread the two sides apart. Two knee-struts hold the back open and accept a film holder. Rapid Rectilinear lens, non-self-capping guillotine shutter. This is one of the rarest of the disguised cameras. They were made for only a short time, with limited success. Very few examples have survived. The leather shows signs of age typical for this camera - ex Jim McKeown Collection

 8. LOT 482 Damoizeau – Cyclographe à Foyer Variable 

Important panoramic camera for 360 degree photos. The camera rotates on a turntable while the film is transported in the opposite direction past a narrow slit at the focal plane. This system was later employed by the "Cirkut" cameras. In addition to the normal back and bellows, it has an extension back with a second set of bellows and a large cast-metal turntable to allow the use of longer lenses to make panoramic views of distant mountains. The use of longer lenses allowed the photographer to retain a more realistic perspective, with less barrel distortion. The camera is complete with the original focusing back with folding hood. It has three original brass-bound lenses of different focal lengths, each with original lens cap. Berthiot Eurygraphe No. 12 Serie IVa F6.2 F=360 with yellow filter and leather cap. Darlot Paris 18+24 with leather cap and lens board. These two lenses have internal diaphragms. A set of 4 waterhouse stops in original leather case fits the third lens, an unmarked brass lens that fits the same flange and lens board as the Darlot. There is an original high-quality brass-bound level for levelling the turntable. The turntable was cast in three identical 120-degree sections for portability, and even the original wrench for assembly is still present. Included with the camera is a cardboard tube from a roll of 30cm Lumière paper for making panoramic prints. Fantastic early panoramic camera in top condition with all accessories including the matching tripod. This example was especially made by Damoizeau for the French photographer P. Cochard of Annecy and was used for telemetric photography of mountains including Mont Blanc. It is the only known example of the improved model from 1894. The outfit came from the granddaughter of Cochard and resided in the McKeowns collection for over 20 years.

 9. LOT 493 Krauss Daubresse 

Unique portable panoramic camera for 359° images on rollfilm. The camera was built by Krauss, based on the patent of M. Achille-Victor-Emile DAUBRESSE. The patent was granted on October 29th, 1903. Extremely interesting design, employing two right-angle prisms with a lens between them. The optical axis of the lens is vertical. The ensemble acts as a combination of lens and periscope, projecting the image outward to the periphery of the film chamber. The central portion of the camera rotates manually to tension the spring, and the release button on the bottom of the camera starts the exposure (the photographer must sit below the camera to push the button, and also to stay out of the picture). Technically advanced camera, still in nearly new condition after more than 100 years. The camera design was only known from the patent from 1903 (included is a copy of the patent) and early literature until 1993 when it was dicovered by the prominent collector Adrien Meaght, mid of 1990s it was acquired by the McKeown collection. It is still the only known example with serial number 001. More than 50 years later, the Panorax camera from Japan employed the same principle in 1959.

 10. LOT 505 Leningrad Space FAS-1 

This camera was manufactured for the Soviet Lunar Space Program with MIR-1 2.8/37mm no.6707935. It is based on a heavily modified Leningrad with enforced clockwork motor drive and no viewfinder. All parts of the camera are made to the highest quality standards.
Shutter 1/140 and B., negative format 20 (24) x 36 mm, the design of the negative window is uncommon and obviously was shaped to accommodate a round object (the Moon). All armatures are sturdily built for use with hand-gloves. Mechanical and electric release (direct or remote). Connection to the on-board electrics by a special 19-pole plug. The diaphragm is operated by a substantial lever on the left side of the lens that has three positions: down (fully illuminated moon – f/11), level (half ways lit moon, f/5,6) and up (light at the moon terminator, f/2,8); schematic explanation on a plate on the hinged camera back. Behind the MIR-1 wide angle lens a special flap is mounted that only moves laterally while the release is pressed. It prevents a burn of the shutter fabric if the camera points towards the sun accidentally. only very few cameras are known to exist - first time ever offered in auction !