LOL. Crossed wires I'm afraid. A "manchon" in french is a muff or sleeve in english. Very likely this tube once housed a gaslamp mantle which with the name "Le Phare" makes sense as a "phare" is a spotlight ot lighthouse in french. So I think they reused the cardboard tube to put the lens in. It is not the brand of the lens or camera.
Expert in non-working solutions.
Looks like a tailboard “travel” camera from the period 1890 - 1914. Most likely French or German. The top brass fitment on the sliding lens board suggest it is prepared for mono/stereo use with a single lens - there may be additional clues inside the camera.
“American” used in conjunction a French lens usually means radial focusing drive, rather than the more common tangential drive. But doesn’t make sense here as your lens is a typical Generic Rapid Rectilinear or Aplanat- focusing is done on the camera. Most of these cameras have no name or the name of the retailer or the supplier.
Looks like nicely finished European Walnut.
My thanks, as well. I've just joined the Forum in part because I've got my first field camera--and by amazing chance it looks to be identical (except for lens, which is unmarked aside from the f stops) to this one. It came from a brocante (pop-up vintage market) here in Paris, but has no maker or dealer's markings, so it's just as much a mystery to me.
Last edited by fhabit; 16-Nov-2023 at 05:44. Reason: removing duplicate photo
Would be nice if you could (gently!) unfold the camera and then post more photos of it (unfolded) here.
Hmmm, it seems nice. Can you please share more photos like these? I can't understand how this was discovered.
Old wooden camera need help with size and identification. By DRAGONPIX11 ... French Very Early Wet Plate Camera |1850-1860 | Tailboard | 9x12cm.
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