197 - Compagne Française de Photographie | The Photosphere 9x12cm

Compagne Française de Photographie | The Photosphere 9x12cm Estimate: €1,800–2,200 Year: c. 1890 Serial No.: 1932 Condition: B+ English: 9x12cm, anodized metal body, hemispherical shutter, original lens, viewfinder, matching roll magazine no. 599; camera and magazine in very fine original condition. The Photosphère is an unusual plate camera, designed and patented by Napoléon Conti in 1888, and produced in several sizes. It was designed for use in tropical regions and therefore, unusually for the time, made of metal. The body is brass, with a silver-colored plating (usually very tarnished in examples seen today). The front of the body has an unusual hemispherical shape. Inside this (behind the lens), the shutter features a hemispherical blind with a hole, which swings under spring tension to allow exposure. The shutter speed can be adjusted by changing the spring tension. German: 9 × 12 cm plate camera with anodized metal body, hemispherical shutter, original lens, viewfinder, and matching film magazine No. 599. Camera and magazine in very fine original condition. The Photosphère is an unusual plate camera designed and patented by Napoléon Conti in 1888 and manufactured in several sizes. It was intended for use in tropical regions and was therefore—unusually for its time—constructed of metal. The body is made of brass with a silver plated coating, which on most known examples today is heavily tarnished. The front features an unusual hemispherical shape. Inside, behind the lens, a hemispherical shutter curtain with an opening moves; it swings out under spring tension to expose the film. The shutter speed is adjusted by changing the spring tension.