59. Atelier Ying + Voigtlander Brillant V6 Library
Some early morning thoughts----
I would like to be seen as nostalgic in every way. This includes both my choice of tools that I draw with as well as my materials.
Wealthy individuals of the 19th century often commissioned one-of-a-kind art pieces such as grand pianos. These works of art had such a presence that rooms were designed for them and around them. This idea inspires me greatly. To this extent, when I think of a favorite camera, I came up with two historical models of which I will be making a small series of designs for. The first one is the Voigtlander Brilliant V6. As this is a design done for myself, Instead of creating a space in which to display this camera i propose to create a room inside of it, directly under the focusing hood and behind the viewfinder lens assembly.
This very simple twin lens reflex had the right original design idea which suited me: it had a "hold-all" compartment (terribly named) which held extra filters and a light meter. I propose an upgrade to this, which replaces that compartment's contents with a set of plastic Hong Kong "toy camera" filters (little replicas of classic cameras sold by vending machines) and an interior door which opens up to allow the owner to view the room (my fantasy atelier) inside. There is a secret door behind the tiny bookcase as well as a hidden panel (please see attached photo below) in the wood floor leading down into the actual camera interior. Besides being an exit this is also to allow one to clean and maintain the lens.
My design comes from the famous Dell "Mapback" Detective stories from the 1920's which enthralled me to no end as a young child. I'm also in love with the concept of creating physical entrances into the interior of the camera which parallel the basic idea of the camera as a box with optical entrances. 'Where the light goes, we follow' is my motto.
The Voigtlander Brilliant V6 had troublesome gears in the focusing mechanism which rendered the otherwise fabulous optics to be useless decades later unless you found one in perfect mint condition. However, digitizing it would solve this problem completely and create the space needed inside for this proposed one-of-a-kind book room. Lastly, there is also the humor of having a camera in front of a camera (the toy camera in front of the main camera lens).
This design can be made into a pinhole camera.
Secret panels in bookcases and secret passages in rooms had become overused in detective fiction from the 1890's through the 1920's to the point that famed authors as Ronald Knox decried its further abuse by stating that secret passages should appear only in stories which took place in very old houses or castles (or in this case, cameras).
Note: my little side drawing affixed with yellow tape, as you can see, was penned on the stationary of one of New York's legendary steakhouses, Keen's chop house. If you're in NYC, please sample their double lamb chops with homemade citrus mint jelly, the combination is just out of this world.
Please view on black.
Design, text and Drawing is copyrighted 2013 by David Lo
59. Atelier Ying + Voigtlander Brillant V6 Library
Some early morning thoughts----
I would like to be seen as nostalgic in every way. This includes both my choice of tools that I draw with as well as my materials.
Wealthy individuals of the 19th century often commissioned one-of-a-kind art pieces such as grand pianos. These works of art had such a presence that rooms were designed for them and around them. This idea inspires me greatly. To this extent, when I think of a favorite camera, I came up with two historical models of which I will be making a small series of designs for. The first one is the Voigtlander Brilliant V6. As this is a design done for myself, Instead of creating a space in which to display this camera i propose to create a room inside of it, directly under the focusing hood and behind the viewfinder lens assembly.
This very simple twin lens reflex had the right original design idea which suited me: it had a "hold-all" compartment (terribly named) which held extra filters and a light meter. I propose an upgrade to this, which replaces that compartment's contents with a set of plastic Hong Kong "toy camera" filters (little replicas of classic cameras sold by vending machines) and an interior door which opens up to allow the owner to view the room (my fantasy atelier) inside. There is a secret door behind the tiny bookcase as well as a hidden panel (please see attached photo below) in the wood floor leading down into the actual camera interior. Besides being an exit this is also to allow one to clean and maintain the lens.
My design comes from the famous Dell "Mapback" Detective stories from the 1920's which enthralled me to no end as a young child. I'm also in love with the concept of creating physical entrances into the interior of the camera which parallel the basic idea of the camera as a box with optical entrances. 'Where the light goes, we follow' is my motto.
The Voigtlander Brilliant V6 had troublesome gears in the focusing mechanism which rendered the otherwise fabulous optics to be useless decades later unless you found one in perfect mint condition. However, digitizing it would solve this problem completely and create the space needed inside for this proposed one-of-a-kind book room. Lastly, there is also the humor of having a camera in front of a camera (the toy camera in front of the main camera lens).
This design can be made into a pinhole camera.
Secret panels in bookcases and secret passages in rooms had become overused in detective fiction from the 1890's through the 1920's to the point that famed authors as Ronald Knox decried its further abuse by stating that secret passages should appear only in stories which took place in very old houses or castles (or in this case, cameras).
Note: my little side drawing affixed with yellow tape, as you can see, was penned on the stationary of one of New York's legendary steakhouses, Keen's chop house. If you're in NYC, please sample their double lamb chops with homemade citrus mint jelly, the combination is just out of this world.
Please view on black.
Design, text and Drawing is copyrighted 2013 by David Lo