ICA Teddy 146 Atelier camera (No reserve price)

ICA Teddy 146 – 9×12 cm folding plate camera – Dresden, Germany – c. 1914–1922

Description

Interesting vintage ICA Teddy 146 photographic camera, produced by Internationale Camera Actiengesellschaft (ICA) of Dresden, Germany, an important German manufacturer of photographic equipment in the early decades of the 20th century.

The Teddy 146 model is a bellows folding camera intended for use with 9 × 12 cm photographic plates.

The device features the characteristic closed structure inside a rigid body/case coated in black material, with a leather top handle.

When the camera is opened, the folding bellows is visible, still present, with the lens mounted at the front. On the back is the frosted ground-glass focusing screen, a typical element of plate cameras of the era.

The model marking “TEDDY 146” is present.

Manufacturer and period

Manufacturer: ICA – Internationale Camera Actiengesellschaft
Model: Teddy 146
Place of manufacture: Dresden, Germany
Period: circa 1914–1922
Format: 9 × 12 cm plate photography
Type: folding plate camera / bellows camera

ICA was one of the leading German manufacturers of photographic equipment of the era and in 1926 participated, together with other companies, in the formation of Zeiss Ikon AG.

Conditions

The device is in original, unrestored condition, compatible with a photographic object of over a century.

Normal and evident signs of age and use are present: wear to the outer covering, scratches, abrasions, and deterioration of the leather handle.

The bellows are present but show aging and wear; full light-tightness has not been verified.

The lens and the rear ground-glass focusing screen are present.

The shutter and overall operation have not been professionally tested, and therefore the camera is sold as a collectible/non-tested item, with no guarantee of full functionality.

Any missing parts, defects and signs of wear are documented in the photographs, which form an integral part of the description.
Collectible interest

An interesting example of early 20th-century German photographic production, particularly suitable for collectors of antique cameras, ICA equipment and Zeiss Ikon, plate photography and historic photographic tools.

The camera retains notable historical charm thanks to its folding structure, the large bellows, and the focusing system on the frosted ground-glass screen.