Other Prints · 19th century
€ 220
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Image trimmed, narrow upper margin. Original folding line. Shows some toning. Small defect bottom right affecting image. On verso: a small black and white other print of photo related subjects.
This is an original antique print titled 'Photographische Apparate II'. It shows various photo equipment and cameras. This print originates from Volume 5 of Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, published between 1893 and 1897.
Meyers Konversations-Lexikon or Meyers Lexikon was a major encyclopedia in the German language that existed in various editions, and by several titles, from 1839 to 1984, when it merged with the Brockhaus Enzyklopädie.
Joseph Meyer (1796–1856), who had founded the publishing house Bibliographisches Institut in 1826, intended to issue a universal encyclopaedia meant for a broad public: people having a general knowledge as well as businessmen, technicians and scholars, considering contemporary works like those of Pierer and Brockhaus to be superficial or obsolete.
The cameras in more detail described:
The print titled "Photographische Apparate II" features a detailed collection of photographic equipment from the late 19th century. This would have been state-of-the-art technology at the time, showcasing the various types of cameras and accessories used in the field of photography.
The print originates from Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, which was a major German encyclopedia that was known for its comprehensive and well-illustrated articles. The fact that this print comes from Volume 5 of the encyclopedia, published between 1893 and 1897, places it at the end of the 19th century, a period of rapid advancement in photographic technology.
The apparatuses shown include:
1. **Darkroom lamps and safelights** used to provide illumination in darkrooms without affecting light-sensitive materials.
2. **Various camera designs**, including folding cameras, box cameras, and plate cameras, reflecting the technological diversity of the time.
3. **A camera with a plate magazine** allowing for multiple exposures before needing to reload.
4. **A stereo camera** capable of taking two images simultaneously for a 3D effect when viewed through a stereoscope.
5. **A detective camera**, which was a type of camera used for covert photography; it was designed to be unobtrusive and often disguised as a different object.
6. **Travel cameras** that were compact and designed to be easily portable for photographers on the move.
7. **A magazine camera** which could hold multiple plates or sheets of film at once, allowing for quicker shooting.
8. **A panoramic camera**, which allowed for wide-angle shots that captured a broad field of view.
These images would be invaluable for historians of photography, as they represent the technology available to photographers at the time, as well as the types of cameras that were common. It also shows the incredible pace of innovation in photographic technology during this era. Meyers Konversations-Lexikon was known for its detailed engravings, which would have been both informative and visually appealing to readers at the time.
