Houghton-Butcher The May Fair Camera
IN ENGLISH BELOW THE LINE
La Houghton-Butcher The May Fair Camera és una càmera plegable de format mitjà força usual per als anys 20 i 30 del s. XX. De fet, per les seves caracteristiques és una càmera dins el sector mitjà baix de qualitat, amb un obturador i objectiu força limitats. Les velocitats només arriben a 1/100 i el diafragma només té dues posicions sense indicació precisa (f), només "ordinary" i "very bright".
Però esteticament és molt interessant, oimés quan és potser la única càmera d'aquest periode que he vist mostrar el seu objectiu com un ull estilitzat. Seria d'esperar que molts altres fabricants haguessin fet tal "simulació" tant evident. El fet que porti el nom The May Fair sembla que s'explica perquè aquesta era una marca de tabac popular a Anglaterra en aquell moment. Seria per tant una càmera que formava part de l'estratgia de marketing i vendes d'aquesta empresa tabaquera.
Fou fabricada cap a 1930 i aquest exemplar funciona perfectament. Com a bonus portava un rodet de format 120 de la marca belga Gevaert, per desgracia en molt mal estat (no s'hi aprecien imatges antigues, un cop revelat, i molt malament les que vaig fer jo per tal d'acabar-lo). L'altre extra és que a la funda s'hi troba el nom del seu primer propietar: J. Hodgkins.
redbellows.co.uk/CameraCollection/HoughtonButcher/MayFair...
www.artdecocameras.com/cameras/houghton/may-fair/
camera-wiki.org/wiki/May_Fair_(folding)
www.collection-appareils.fr/x/html/camera-2885-Houghton_M...
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The Houghton-Butcher The May Fair Camera is a fairly common medium format folding camera for the 1920s and 1930s. In fact, due to its characteristics, it is a camera in the medium-low quality sector, with a fairly limited shutter and lens. Speeds only go to 1/100 and the diaphragm has only two positions with no precise indication (f), only "ordinary" and "very bright".
But aesthetically it is very interesting, especially when it is perhaps the only camera of this period that I have seen showing its lens as a stylized eye. One would expect that many other manufacturers would have made such obvious ocular "simulation". The fact that it bears the name The May Fair (Reg.) seems to be explained by the fact that this was a popular brand of tobacco in England at the time. It would therefore be a camera that was part of the marketing and sales strategy of this tobacco company.
It was manufactured around 1930 and this one works perfectly. As a bonus it had a 120 roll from the Belgian brand Gevaert, unfortunately in very bad condition (old images are not appreciated, once developed, and very badly the ones I exposed to finish it) . The other bonus is that the leather case has the name of its first owner: Mr. J. Hodgkins.
redbellows.co.uk/CameraCollection/HoughtonButcher/MayFair...
www.artdecocameras.com/cameras/houghton/may-fair/
camera-wiki.org/wiki/May_Fair_(folding)
www.collection-appareils.fr/x/html/camera-2885-Houghton_M...
Houghton-Butcher The May Fair Camera
IN ENGLISH BELOW THE LINE
La Houghton-Butcher The May Fair Camera és una càmera plegable de format mitjà força usual per als anys 20 i 30 del s. XX. De fet, per les seves caracteristiques és una càmera dins el sector mitjà baix de qualitat, amb un obturador i objectiu força limitats. Les velocitats només arriben a 1/100 i el diafragma només té dues posicions sense indicació precisa (f), només "ordinary" i "very bright".
Però esteticament és molt interessant, oimés quan és potser la única càmera d'aquest periode que he vist mostrar el seu objectiu com un ull estilitzat. Seria d'esperar que molts altres fabricants haguessin fet tal "simulació" tant evident. El fet que porti el nom The May Fair sembla que s'explica perquè aquesta era una marca de tabac popular a Anglaterra en aquell moment. Seria per tant una càmera que formava part de l'estratgia de marketing i vendes d'aquesta empresa tabaquera.
Fou fabricada cap a 1930 i aquest exemplar funciona perfectament. Com a bonus portava un rodet de format 120 de la marca belga Gevaert, per desgracia en molt mal estat (no s'hi aprecien imatges antigues, un cop revelat, i molt malament les que vaig fer jo per tal d'acabar-lo). L'altre extra és que a la funda s'hi troba el nom del seu primer propietar: J. Hodgkins.
redbellows.co.uk/CameraCollection/HoughtonButcher/MayFair...
www.artdecocameras.com/cameras/houghton/may-fair/
camera-wiki.org/wiki/May_Fair_(folding)
www.collection-appareils.fr/x/html/camera-2885-Houghton_M...
========================
The Houghton-Butcher The May Fair Camera is a fairly common medium format folding camera for the 1920s and 1930s. In fact, due to its characteristics, it is a camera in the medium-low quality sector, with a fairly limited shutter and lens. Speeds only go to 1/100 and the diaphragm has only two positions with no precise indication (f), only "ordinary" and "very bright".
But aesthetically it is very interesting, especially when it is perhaps the only camera of this period that I have seen showing its lens as a stylized eye. One would expect that many other manufacturers would have made such obvious ocular "simulation". The fact that it bears the name The May Fair (Reg.) seems to be explained by the fact that this was a popular brand of tobacco in England at the time. It would therefore be a camera that was part of the marketing and sales strategy of this tobacco company.
It was manufactured around 1930 and this one works perfectly. As a bonus it had a 120 roll from the Belgian brand Gevaert, unfortunately in very bad condition (old images are not appreciated, once developed, and very badly the ones I exposed to finish it) . The other bonus is that the leather case has the name of its first owner: Mr. J. Hodgkins.
redbellows.co.uk/CameraCollection/HoughtonButcher/MayFair...
www.artdecocameras.com/cameras/houghton/may-fair/
camera-wiki.org/wiki/May_Fair_(folding)
www.collection-appareils.fr/x/html/camera-2885-Houghton_M...