First Monorail Camera?

**baltzphoto** · 23-Mar-2021, 08:45

When was the first production Monorail camera? I know the first Graphic View by Graflex was sold in 1941, but does anyone know if there were others prior to that on the market?

**Luis-F-S** · 23-Mar-2021, 09:12

Get a Sinar F2 readily available, reasonable and the best bang for the buck!

**jim_jm** · 23-Mar-2021, 11:47

This is the earliest one I've seen. A German-made "Studienkamera" from around 1927, manufactured by Stegemann in Berlin. Similar triangular rail to the Graphic View.

**Tin Can** · 23-Mar-2021, 12:01

Thank you!

Wonderful documentation with images made.

We need more like it.

Hopeful Internet Archive saves all this...

Originally Posted by jim_jm

This is the earliest one I've seen. A German-made "Studienkamera" from around 1927, manufactured by Stegemann in Berlin. Similar triangular rail to the Graphic View.

**Bob Salomon** · 23-Mar-2021, 12:41

Originally Posted by jim_jm

This is the earliest one I've seen. A German-made "Studienkamera" from around 1927, manufactured by Stegemann in Berlin. Similar triangular rail to the Graphic View.

Why 27? The invoice is from 1937.

**jim_jm** · 23-Mar-2021, 12:58

Manufacture of this particular model started in '27. It's also listed in a George Eastman Museum book, "500 Cameras" as first appearing in '27.

**baltzphoto** · 23-Mar-2021, 13:53

Originally Posted by jim_jm

Manufacture of this particular model started in '27. It's also listed in a George Eastman Museum book, "500 Cameras" as first appearing in '27.

Many thanks, I do not remember ever seeing a Stagemann Monorail Camera before. Not sure of the accuracy but Collectiblend.com states of the Stagemann camera, "Triangular wooden rail pointing down until 1927, wooden or aluminum pointing up after that." You can certainly see the influence on the View Graphic's design.