Lot Essay
This camera was illustrated in Historische Kameras, p. 11.
E. Enjalbert's revolver camera was patented in France on 14 February 1882 (French patent no. 147655). The patent protection was short-lived as the second year tax (a renewal fee) was not paid and a full patent specification was therefore not published. The camera is historically important as one of the earliest hand cameras.
The camera made use of real revolver parts which contributed to it's realistic appearance. It carried ten 20 x 20mm. glass dry plates held in metal sheaths. Following exposure the cylindrical plate magazine was rotated by a half-turn which transferred the exposed plate to the second compartment and another half-turn brought a new plate into the taking position and set the shutter. The gun trigger fired the shutter. A second larger model for twelve 40 x 40mm. plates was also available.
The Photographic News reported the camera:
'Enjalbert's Photo-Revolver. -- M. Enjalbert, whose name is more particularly known as the inventor of ingenious apparatus, has presented to the Photographic Society of France this photo-revolver. The receptacle D [the plate holder] contains ten sensitive plates, which by the action of the trigger are lodged by turn in a box by the side of that containing the unexposed plates. The motion of the trigger causes the shutter in front to act, which is capable of being regulated in rapidity. On pulling the trigger, the receptacle D makes one complete revolution, and is capable of making ten successively for the ten plates, which are square sided two centimetres long. Aim is taken by keeping point A in position in front of the knob placed at the end of the barrel. For enlarging these minute pictures, M. Enjalbert has had an apparatus constructed... The barrel or lens of revolver U is fixed in front of the condensing lens R, and the whole is placed in a camera; the negative slide is at T. Nothing can be more simple. The whole thing is well conceived, and the little negatives thus taken instantaneously, of course, are little gems. We can only find one fault with this pretty apparatus, in its bright nickel case, but it is a grave one - that is, that it takes the form of fire-arms.'
E. Enjalbert's revolver camera was patented in France on 14 February 1882 (French patent no. 147655). The patent protection was short-lived as the second year tax (a renewal fee) was not paid and a full patent specification was therefore not published. The camera is historically important as one of the earliest hand cameras.
The camera made use of real revolver parts which contributed to it's realistic appearance. It carried ten 20 x 20mm. glass dry plates held in metal sheaths. Following exposure the cylindrical plate magazine was rotated by a half-turn which transferred the exposed plate to the second compartment and another half-turn brought a new plate into the taking position and set the shutter. The gun trigger fired the shutter. A second larger model for twelve 40 x 40mm. plates was also available.
The Photographic News reported the camera:
'Enjalbert's Photo-Revolver. -- M. Enjalbert, whose name is more particularly known as the inventor of ingenious apparatus, has presented to the Photographic Society of France this photo-revolver. The receptacle D [the plate holder] contains ten sensitive plates, which by the action of the trigger are lodged by turn in a box by the side of that containing the unexposed plates. The motion of the trigger causes the shutter in front to act, which is capable of being regulated in rapidity. On pulling the trigger, the receptacle D makes one complete revolution, and is capable of making ten successively for the ten plates, which are square sided two centimetres long. Aim is taken by keeping point A in position in front of the knob placed at the end of the barrel. For enlarging these minute pictures, M. Enjalbert has had an apparatus constructed... The barrel or lens of revolver U is fixed in front of the condensing lens R, and the whole is placed in a camera; the negative slide is at T. Nothing can be more simple. The whole thing is well conceived, and the little negatives thus taken instantaneously, of course, are little gems. We can only find one fault with this pretty apparatus, in its bright nickel case, but it is a grave one - that is, that it takes the form of fire-arms.'