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The Meadows Collection
Adela & Mark Meadows

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Vintage Light Meter...Zeiss-Ikon Diaphot Photomètre

Carl Zeiss (1816-1888) opened an optics workshop in the central German town of Jena in 1846...a workshop which became the basis for what is today one of the oldest existing optics manufacturers in the world.

Zeiss initially made optics for microscopes, but in 1840, with the advent of photography, the firm began to manufacture high quality  cameras and lenses. In 1909, the Zeiss camera division was part of a merger that resulted in the creation of a company known as Ica. That, in turn, became part of a merger that formed Zeiss-Ikon in 1926.

It was in that year that this vintage Diophot photomètre or light meter was manufactured.
It is an extinction-type light meter...model number B2208 complete with leather case and an instruction booklet in French. It dates from the days of glass plaques rather than roll film...although light is light and it could certainly be used today for a true retro approach.

To use, you look at your intended scene through the round eyepiece; turning the exterior rim of the diaphot activates a variable density filter. When the details of the mid-tones and shadows of your intended scene disappear, turning the diaphot over...

...you find a window that gives you a reading for exposure times for various aperture openings. It will calibrate shutter speeds from 1/2000 of a second to twelve minutes and apertures from F/3.5 to F/25.

The booklet...

...details the necessary adjustments for photographing the sea, the mountains, and at different altitudes or distances.

The booklet folds to fit into the diophot's leather case...

...a case that clearly establishes it as a serious object of quality...

It was obviously designed to fit easily in one's pocket...the case  measures 3.25 inches high by 2.75 inches...the diophot itself measures 2.875 inches high by 2.25 inches wide. Condition is excellent; there is one small ding to the metal face and minimal wear to the case.

If you look closely during the filming scene towards the end of the movie "The Artist", you'll see that to accurately recreate the ambiance of 1930s movie set, the costume designer added a diaphot around the neck of one of the actors playing a camera technician. Très Retro!

1931 Box Camera...Zeiss-Ikon Baby Box Tengor Model 54/18
Continuing in the retro photography mood...

This small vintage Zeiss-Ikon box camera used Zeiss-Ikon A8 roll film...commonly called 127 roll film...and will produce sixteen half frame images. Zeiss made this style...known as a Baby Box...from 1931 to 1938. This is the earliest version...those produced after 1934 had an  added hexagonal design on the front along with additional features.

This one is very early and very bare bones. It has a 50mm F/11 non-focusing fixed Goerz Frontar lens...Goerz being one of the firms that was part of the merger that eventually became Zeiss-Ikon. The shutter speed choice was 1/25 of a second or bulb...that was it. The viewfinder could not be any simpler...the photographer looked through a folding frame finder after the wire front sight was pulled up.

The back had two red windows for advancing the film...

...that size film was also used for eight full frame images, so for using it in the Baby Box for sixteen half frame images, the user would advance the film to one window, take a photograph and advance the film again to the second window, and so on.

The camera body is metal that has been covered with lacquered leather. The front is embossed with the Zeiss-Ikon logo and the back has Box Tengor between the two red windows.

It measures an adorable inches 3.125 inches high,  2. 375 inches wide, and 2 inches deep. There is a wire strap attachment loop on one side and tripod mounts on the other side and on the bottom. As you can see from the photographs, the metal has aged and the outer leather is not in the best condition...the box itself is, however, light-tight...the shutter release functions perfectly, etc. etc.

Zeiss Aerotopo...Instrument Used for Mapping Aerial Photography

Very interesting...but I really have no clue how this was used. It is an aerotopograph and has something to do with photogrammetry for mapping aerial photographs...determining actual distances, e.g. "reading" an aerial surveillance photograph. Spy stuff.

It also gives a 3-D view if used to look at two identical objects.

It has its own case...brown leather embossed with the Zeiss Aerotopo  logo and includes instructions in German, English, French, and Spanish as well as a stereoscopic vision test chart:

 

The Zeiss aerotopo logo appears on the instructions...


...and on the stereoscopic vision test chart...

The viewer is also marked...

Unfolded, the viewer measures 4.5 inches high, 4.75 inches wide, and 2.125 inches deep. The stereo vision test chart measures 5.125 inches wide by 2.375 inches high. The viewer is marked "Made in Germany"...which dates it as being prior to 1945...most likely from the 1930s. Excellent condition...there is some minor wear on the metal of the viewer; the glass lenses are, however, free of any flaws. The chart has some slight indentations from being stored in the case next to the viewer and the instructions have deep fold lines...also from being stored in the case for a lengthy time.

Definitely an object filled with "nerd appeal".

Vintage Heydes Aktino...German Photometer

Another vintage object used by old time photographers to measure light...a German optical extinction photographic exposure meter produced by Gustav Heydes in Dresden.

Complete with case...

...the Heydes exposure meter was first produced in 1905 and was advertised as being "essential to the photographer who wants perfect pictures".

It functioned via an internal neutral density step wedge...

The photographer had to merely look into the eyepiece and turn the edge dial until the image was barely visible...

...turning it over...

...revealed the proper recommended exposure combination for aperture and shutter speed. It dates from the 1920s when it sold for the then astronomical sum of $10. Once standardized film speeds were introduced, extinction light meters became redundant and production stopped. Interest in extinction exposure metering is renewed today by photographers exploring other avenues...such as vintage large format cameras and camera obscura/sténopé images.

The Heyde Aktino photometer was an object of great style and quality...clearly evident by the styling of the meter itself as well as its case...


Cosmetically, there are some small dings to the case...the bottom of which is marked...

...Made in Germany. Gustav Heydes founded the firm in 1872...it later became the Feinmess Optical Company, still based in Dresden. The case measures 2.5625 inches in diameter and is 1 inch high; the photometer itself measures 2.375 inches in diameter and is .675 inches high.  It functions perfectly...calibrating shutter speeds from 1/300th of a second to 5 hours and aperture openings from f4.5 to f36.

A functional and stylish bit of photographica!

Vintage Mug Shot/Scranton, Pennsylvania

Would you buy a used car from this man?

This would be Daniel Richards alias Daniel Williams…a salesman who gave his address as 121 N 16^th Street in Philadelphia. This image dates from 1938 when  he was arrested by the Scranton police for issuing worthless checks.

By some accounts, the mug shot was invented by Allan Pinkerton (1819-1884), the nineteenth century detective, famous as the founder of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Others date its origin as 1848 and the place as a Liverpool, England police station. Still others say the custom began in the 1870s, in Paris, France by Alphonse Bertillon, a clerk at the Préfecture de Police. The earliest mug shot still in existence is thought to be one that dates from 1843 and was taken by the police in Brussels, Belgium…very early indeed, as that would have happened only a few years after the invention of photography.

Whatever the true origin, the mug shot has become a cultural icon of sorts.…folks as diverse as Bill Gates and Elvis Presley…even Bert from Sesame Street,  have heard the drill…face front, hold still, turn to your left, etc.

This particular mug shot consists of the traditional double "portrait" mounted on a three by five inch card on which Officer Kelly of the Scranton Police Department recorded the pertinent identifying features of Mr. Richards alias Mr. Williams.

The image is in mint condition.

It is fabulous on many levels and thus, it's included here as an example of Vintage Photography and also in our link for  Folk Art and Curiosities.

Vintage Paris Photograph...signed Chapman

A cleverly surreal image of a couple of nuns descending into a Paris métro or subway station...


The black and white silver print image measures 5 inches by 3.125 inches and is on heavy textured art paper measuring 5.5 inches by 3.5 inches. It has been professionally matted...the mat measures 12.875 inches by 9.75 inches.

The reverse side of the photograph has been stamped so that it would function as a post card...



...there is also a stamped notation that reads "Photo-Chapman".  It may have been originally intended as an offering in conjunction with an exhibit of Chapman's work as it was not printed on commercial, mass-produced postcard stock.

The nuns are wearing the habit of the religious order known as the Daughters of Charity...an order founded by Saint Vincent de Paul in 1630. Their distinctive cap was the inspiration behind The Flying Nun television series. The order still exists, but abandoned the practice of wearing their elaborate garb in 1965.

The photograph dates from circa  1950 and is in excellent condition...the images above are direct scans...no retouching.

Vintage Keystone Agency Photograph/Can-Can Dancing Dolls

A surreal scene of dancing dolls in a German toy factory.

A Keystone View Company photograph...

...the back has the stamp of Keystone's Berlin office as well as the image description...in German. The Keystone View Company had its beginnings in Pennsylvania as publishers of stereocards; as the public's interest in stereoviews waned, the firm expanded to act as a photographic agency. Active from the 1890s to the 1940s, Keystone had offices throughout the world, its photographers responsible for images produced for many of the world's leading newspapers and magazines.

The photograph measures 7.75 inches wide by 5.75 inches high. It dates from circa 1930 and is in reasonable condition...the images above are direct scans...no retouching. There is a small tear top center that has been attended to with archival tape; as well, there are small missing areas on the top, left, and bottom edges; the lower right corner has been folded and the other corners are slightly rubbed. Once matted and framed, none of this will be apparent...only the great image!

Aylesbury, England Doll Manufacturing Plant...Associated Press Photograph

A doll manufacturing facility in UK's Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire...a little northwest of London...is featured in this vintage Associated Press photograph. In an almost surreal scene, two employees are shown painting faces on a mountain of doll heads.

The caption on the reverse:

...credits Giocattoli as the photographer and describes the image as:

"Pushing the Foreigner from the English Toy Market

Three years ago practically no dolls were made in Britain--now in the old world market town of Aylesbury, Bucks, some 5,000 hand made dolls are being turned out each week, and the trade which formerly went abroad is now giving employment to hundreds of British workers.

Associated Press feature photo shows: dolls heads having their eyes painted in after coming from the mold."

The Associated Press of Great Britain stamp is visible underneath the typed caption.

It has been professionally matted...the mat measures 12.875 inches by 9.75 inches. The images above are direct scans...no retouching. The image itself measures 6 inches high by 8 inches wide. There are slight folds in the upper margins.

When the Machine Eats Man...Agence France-Presse Photo

Another work environment image, but some decades later...taken in 1968, back in the days when a computer filled up an entire, floor-reinforced room.

A great image...entitled by Agence France-Presse:

Qaund (sic) la Machine Mange l'Homme, meaning When the Machine Eats Man. The caption translates to read "This curious photograph shows us only the engineer of an electronics factory working to connect the different circuits of a computer."


The image is dated April 16, 1968...seemingly light years and a universe away from today's hand-held electronics!

The stamp of the agency is on the reverse:

It has been professionally matted...the mat measures 12.875 inches by 9.75 inches. The images above are direct scans...no retouching. The image itself measures 5 inches high by 7.0625 inches wide. It is in excellent condition.

Wine Merchants...Bercy District in Paris, France...June 12, 1912 
Perfect for creating an old-time ambiance in your cave...a group photograph taken on June 12, 1912...as documented on the barrel in the center. The sign in the background reads Ch. Vazeilles...perhaps that is the name of the firm. It's a great study of faces...the executives, the matriarch, the heir-apparent. The young man behind the central barrel is holding in one hand a pointeau or poinçon, a typically French tool for drawing a small amount of wine from a barrel so that it can be tested to determine how well it is ageing. In his other hand is a silver tastevin...the type that can be used to taste both red and white wines. The photograph was taken in Bercy...the famous warehouse area in the 12th arrondissement of Paris where prior to its demolition in the 1990s, wines from all of France were stored, bottled, and distributed to thirsty Parisiens.

The image is a direct scan...no retouching. A silver print, it measures 6.6875 inches by 4.875 inches...printed on paper that is 7.125 inches by 5.125 inches. The image is clear and sharp...there are two crinkles in the upper left corner, two tears on right edge margin. Glued to original mat. A piece of French wine history!

Given the subject, we are also including this image in our link for Wine and Vine Antiques.
 

Vintage Photograph...Testing the Reisling

The caption on the back of this vintage image describes it as having been taken during the testing of the Riesling at the co-operative cave of Bech-Kleinmacher-Wellenstein in Luxembourg. Bech-Kleinmacher, and Wellenstein are wine-making towns located on the Moselle River very near to the border between France and Luxembourg.

The image is a direct scan...no retouching. A silver print, it measures 6.6875 inches by 4.8125 inches...printed on paper that is 7.0675 inches by 5.1875 inches. The image is clear and sharp...there are some dust spots in darker areas of image and one crinkle to lower right margin.

Given the subject, we are also including this image in our link for Wine and Vine Antiques.

1920 Olympics Gold Medal Winner for Weightlifting...Ernest Cadine

Now here's a photo that will look great on the wall of your exercise room...maybe even provide a little inspiration when the going gets tough and the body needs building!

Ernest Cadine (1893-1978) was France's first Olympics champion for weightlifting...winner of a gold medal at the 1920 summer games held in Antwerp, Belgium.

Just 5'6" and weighing 181 pounds, he began his weightlifting regime in 1910 and went on to establish six world records. His gold metal winning performance at the 1920 Olympics consisted of a whopping 649 pounds.

The photograph has been professionally matted...the mat measures 12.875 inches by 9.75 inches. The image is a direct scan...no retouching. The image itself measures 8.3125 inches high by 6 inches wide. There is a slight fold in the upper left margin, a few slight crinkles within the image itself, and some idiot wrote "Cadine" on the reverse:

...with a pencil and pressed a bit too hard, so if the photograph is held obliquely to the light, an impression can be seen.

Lastest Style in Dental Art in 1959...Agence France-Presse Photograph

No, this isn't a James Bond villain...it's a 1959 Agence France-Presse photograph for an article entitled the Dernier Mode en Art Dentaire...French for "The Latest Style in the Art of Dentistry".

The story is related on the back label...

...translation:

"These gold teeth encrusted with diamonds don't belong to an Arabian oil king, but a Danish dentist...Dr. Jensen. He hopes also to spark a new style that will encourage people to take care of their smile. "

The agency stamp is on the reverse:

Founded in 1835, Agence France-Presse is the oldest news agency in the world.

The photograph has been professionally matted...the mat measures 12.875 inches by 9.75 inches. The images are direct scans...no retouching. The image itself measures 7.125 inches high by 5.0625 inches wide. The subject's right eye seems to have a small light area that is probably a dust spot from printing.
 

Vintage Photographs of German Clowns

We have from an album of authentic, vintage photographs of various clowns and clown performances in 1940s Germany...

Photograph One:

Photograph Two:

Photograph Three:

The images are direct scans...no retouching.  Each image measures 6.3125 inches by 4.375 inches;  they are silver prints on textured paper that measures 6.675 inches by 4.675 inches. Images are clear with soft focus. Photograph One has a couple of dust spots;  Photograph Two has a couple of dust spots and a water spot on the lower right corner; Photograph Three has some small white spots in the image near the horn and hands.

Given the subject, we are also including the clown photographs in our link for Carnival Antiques.