French Daguerreotype Camera

Maker Unknown

Paris, France

ca. 1848 - 1852

Ex-collection Michael Kramer

This beautiful and original French Daguerreotype camera was made by an unknown craftsman probably prior to 1850. Its ground glass focusing screen measures 3 1/4” x 4 1/4” making it a quarter-plate size. I understand that the camera and box of plates was purchased by a renowned French camera collector in 2001 at Bievres who reportedly said that the camera was originally owned by a family in the French countryside and handed down through the generations. It was subsequently sold to an American collector, then to Michael Kramer, and most recently to me. This specific camera is pictured on page 238 of McKeown’s Price Guide, 12th Edition, 2005 - 2006.

The brass Petzval-type lens is very early and apropos for this camera. It is marked Molteni & Cie a Paris. Antoine Molteni was a French manufacturer and trader in optical instruments. According to Wikipedia, Molteni began working closely with Louis Daguerre in the 1830s and made the first devices used by Daguerre in 1839.

On the French cameras of the Daguerreian era, the top edge of the dark slide was recessed into the top of the camera rather than extending to the outer edge of the camera. Additionally, note that the tails of the joints at the top of the camera are at the side. From the top, the joints appear as parallel saw cuts. This was normal on continental cameras. In Britain, it was conventional to have the tails in the top of the plank.