Photographie Vulgarisatrice - L'Incroyable n.1 with rotating bellows, lens & wooden double darkslide - Large format camera

Photographie Vulgarisatrice refers to a historic French brand and company founded in 1886 by Gustave Van Messem. It specialized in democratizing photography promoting ready-to-use photography kits and even offering support from photography instructors to teach customers.

In 1896, it was sold with a complete kit for shooting and developing photographs. This kit included the camera, a focusing frame, a double-leaf holder for gelatin silver bromide plates, a 40 mm lens, a pack of sensitive plates, photographic paper for prints, as well as bottles of developing, fixing, and toning/fixing solution.
Each buyer was entitled to a photography lesson every day at 9:00 a.m., at 6 and 8 Rue des Petites Écuries in Paris.

This model L'Incroyable n.1 (c1894-1897) is a small 9 x 12 cm travel tailboard camera with rotating conical bellows. Bellows are in order (no pinholes). In the years the owners have made changes to the original model such as adapting a most recent wooden double dark slide and a 1/2" knob in order to lock bellows extension at the desired focus. The camera can be mounted on tripod with a 3/8" mount.
Unfortunately wood is of poor quality and has undergone some deformation in the years. The camera is good looking, but using it right now might be quite complex.


Shipping weight is approximately 1,2 kg. and sizes 30x15x12 cm.
Will be shipped in insured sturdy package by express courier.