Càmera Konrad G. Seitz
IN ENGLISH BELOW THE LINE
Aquesta càmera tipus "tailboard" o "reisekamera" com en diuen en alemany, de format 13x18 cm, és d'un model força estandard i molt practic. Per això la vaig escollir. Però a sobre té la particularitat de conservar la plaqueta del fabricant i a sobre un objectiu a joc també amb el nom del fabricant. Això la fa especialment atractiva.
Aquesta reisekamera, doncs, fou fabricada i venguda per Konrad G. Seitz a Nuremberg, a finals del s. XIX o principis del XX. Per raons que detallaré, crec que data d'entorn el 1895. Encara fa més gracia que el negoci fotografic de la familia Seitz encara existeix avui en dia, encara al costat de la St. Lorenzkirche: Photo Seitz GmbH.
L'objectiu és força interesant i representatiu del seu moment. Tot ell lacat en negre i amb detalls cromats, s'allunya ja de la estètica de llauto que va dominar els objectius fotografics del s. XIX. Tot i portar el mateix nom del fabricant i venedor de la càmera, dubto molt que també fos fabricat a Nuremberg. El text del objectiu, parcialment en lletra gòtica, diu:
"Konrad G. Seitz, Nürnberg,
Universal Aplanat, Extra Rapid, 16981".
La clau aquí, es que si busqueu "Universal Aplanat Extra Rapid", veureu que hi ha molts objectius identics, amb el mateix lacat negre i text similar PERO amb noms i ciutats diferents. La majoria d'Alemania i Austria, però també de França i Catalunya i tot. De fet, vaig trobar un article sobre dos objectius com aquest però indicant dues botigues de Barcelona. Gracies a aquests noms podien saber que es tractava de objectius fabricats just a finals del s. XIX (quan estan documentats aquells negocis barcelonins). Per això crec que aquest objectiu data del entorn del 1895. Tant pel nº de serie anterior als mencionats objectius com per tenir diafragma amb "stops" senzillament numerats 1-2-3-4 etc, i no f8-f11-f16-f22...
No sé on es fabricaren aquests Universal Aplanats, però tot apunta a Alemania, tant per la distribució com per l'us de lletra gòtica en el text. Deurien ser fets per encarrec d'aquells que els venien amb el seu nom inscrit, i obviament això sembla indicar optiques més aviat barates. Si un objectiu Zeiss, Vöigtlander o Dallmeyer, calia pagar més.
Aquesta càmera la vaig comprar perque anava en conjunt amb 3 portaplaques de tipus "bookform", perfectament utilitzables per a fer plaques de col·lodió. I funciona molt bé!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reisekamera
www.girona.cat/sgdap/docs/b3ljavifoix_2018.pdf
==============================================
This large format tailboard camera or "reisekamera" as they say in German, format 13x18 cm, is a fairly standard early XX Century model and very practical, as in folding position the ground glass is protected. That’s why I chose her. But on top of that it has the particularity of keeping the manufacturer's plate and even a matching lens also with the manufacturer's name. This makes her especially attractive.
This reisekamera, therefore, was manufactured and sold by Konrad G. Seitz in Nuremberg, at the end of the XIX or early XX Centuries. For reasons I will detail, I think it dates back to c.1895. It is even more interesting to know that the photographic business of the Seitz family still exists today, next to the St. Lorenzkirche, in Nuremberg: it's Photo Seitz GmbH, in Pfannenschmiedsgasse.
The lens is quite interesting and representative of his time. All lacquered in black and with chrome details, it is already moving away from the brass aesthetic that dominated the photographic lenses of the XIX Century. Despite bearing the same name as the camera manufacturer and seller, I highly doubt it was also made in Nuremberg. The text of the objective, partially in gothic letter, says:
"Konrad G. Seitz, Nürnberg,
Universal Aplanat, Extra Rapid, 16981 ".
The key here, is that if you search for "Universal Aplanat Extra Rapid", you will see that there are many identical lenses, with the same black lacquer and similarly styled text BUT with different names and cities. Some also have Waterhouse stops, others, diaphragms. Most indicate cities of Germany and Austria, but also France and even Barcelona, in Catalonia. In fact, I found an article (in Catalan) about two lenses like this but named after two retailers in Barcelona, long gone ("A. Busquets y Duran", and "Vda. de F. Rus"). Thanks to these names they could know that these were lenses manufactured just at the end of the s. XIX (when those Barcelona businesses are documented). That is why I think this lens dates from around 1895, just a few years before the others. Both for the serial number lower than those lenses and for having a diaphragm with "stops" simply numbered 1-2-3-4 etc, and not f8-f11-f16-f22. ..
I don't know where these lacquered Universal Aplanats were made, but everything points to Germany, both for the distribution and the use of Gothic lettering in the text. They probably were made by order by those who sold them with their name inscribed on them, and obviously this seems to indicate rather cheap optics.
I bought this camera because it came with 3 "bookform" type plate holders, perfectly usable for making collodion plates. And it works great!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reisekamera
Càmera Konrad G. Seitz
IN ENGLISH BELOW THE LINE
Aquesta càmera tipus "tailboard" o "reisekamera" com en diuen en alemany, de format 13x18 cm, és d'un model força estandard i molt practic. Per això la vaig escollir. Però a sobre té la particularitat de conservar la plaqueta del fabricant i a sobre un objectiu a joc també amb el nom del fabricant. Això la fa especialment atractiva.
Aquesta reisekamera, doncs, fou fabricada i venguda per Konrad G. Seitz a Nuremberg, a finals del s. XIX o principis del XX. Per raons que detallaré, crec que data d'entorn el 1895. Encara fa més gracia que el negoci fotografic de la familia Seitz encara existeix avui en dia, encara al costat de la St. Lorenzkirche: Photo Seitz GmbH.
L'objectiu és força interesant i representatiu del seu moment. Tot ell lacat en negre i amb detalls cromats, s'allunya ja de la estètica de llauto que va dominar els objectius fotografics del s. XIX. Tot i portar el mateix nom del fabricant i venedor de la càmera, dubto molt que també fos fabricat a Nuremberg. El text del objectiu, parcialment en lletra gòtica, diu:
"Konrad G. Seitz, Nürnberg,
Universal Aplanat, Extra Rapid, 16981".
La clau aquí, es que si busqueu "Universal Aplanat Extra Rapid", veureu que hi ha molts objectius identics, amb el mateix lacat negre i text similar PERO amb noms i ciutats diferents. La majoria d'Alemania i Austria, però també de França i Catalunya i tot. De fet, vaig trobar un article sobre dos objectius com aquest però indicant dues botigues de Barcelona. Gracies a aquests noms podien saber que es tractava de objectius fabricats just a finals del s. XIX (quan estan documentats aquells negocis barcelonins). Per això crec que aquest objectiu data del entorn del 1895. Tant pel nº de serie anterior als mencionats objectius com per tenir diafragma amb "stops" senzillament numerats 1-2-3-4 etc, i no f8-f11-f16-f22...
No sé on es fabricaren aquests Universal Aplanats, però tot apunta a Alemania, tant per la distribució com per l'us de lletra gòtica en el text. Deurien ser fets per encarrec d'aquells que els venien amb el seu nom inscrit, i obviament això sembla indicar optiques més aviat barates. Si un objectiu Zeiss, Vöigtlander o Dallmeyer, calia pagar més.
Aquesta càmera la vaig comprar perque anava en conjunt amb 3 portaplaques de tipus "bookform", perfectament utilitzables per a fer plaques de col·lodió. I funciona molt bé!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reisekamera
www.girona.cat/sgdap/docs/b3ljavifoix_2018.pdf
==============================================
This large format tailboard camera or "reisekamera" as they say in German, format 13x18 cm, is a fairly standard early XX Century model and very practical, as in folding position the ground glass is protected. That’s why I chose her. But on top of that it has the particularity of keeping the manufacturer's plate and even a matching lens also with the manufacturer's name. This makes her especially attractive.
This reisekamera, therefore, was manufactured and sold by Konrad G. Seitz in Nuremberg, at the end of the XIX or early XX Centuries. For reasons I will detail, I think it dates back to c.1895. It is even more interesting to know that the photographic business of the Seitz family still exists today, next to the St. Lorenzkirche, in Nuremberg: it's Photo Seitz GmbH, in Pfannenschmiedsgasse.
The lens is quite interesting and representative of his time. All lacquered in black and with chrome details, it is already moving away from the brass aesthetic that dominated the photographic lenses of the XIX Century. Despite bearing the same name as the camera manufacturer and seller, I highly doubt it was also made in Nuremberg. The text of the objective, partially in gothic letter, says:
"Konrad G. Seitz, Nürnberg,
Universal Aplanat, Extra Rapid, 16981 ".
The key here, is that if you search for "Universal Aplanat Extra Rapid", you will see that there are many identical lenses, with the same black lacquer and similarly styled text BUT with different names and cities. Some also have Waterhouse stops, others, diaphragms. Most indicate cities of Germany and Austria, but also France and even Barcelona, in Catalonia. In fact, I found an article (in Catalan) about two lenses like this but named after two retailers in Barcelona, long gone ("A. Busquets y Duran", and "Vda. de F. Rus"). Thanks to these names they could know that these were lenses manufactured just at the end of the s. XIX (when those Barcelona businesses are documented). That is why I think this lens dates from around 1895, just a few years before the others. Both for the serial number lower than those lenses and for having a diaphragm with "stops" simply numbered 1-2-3-4 etc, and not f8-f11-f16-f22. ..
I don't know where these lacquered Universal Aplanats were made, but everything points to Germany, both for the distribution and the use of Gothic lettering in the text. They probably were made by order by those who sold them with their name inscribed on them, and obviously this seems to indicate rather cheap optics.
I bought this camera because it came with 3 "bookform" type plate holders, perfectly usable for making collodion plates. And it works great!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reisekamera