Loading

Bourquin camera

Bourquin (French)ca. 1845

George Eastman Museum

George Eastman Museum
Rochester, United States

Judging by the way the ground glass and plate holder affix to the camera, the Bourquin dates from about 1845. It is a French-made single-box-style camera fitted with a Petzval-type portrait lens; the only means of focus is the lens’s rack and pinion. Mounted on either side of the lens are dragons, which appear to support the lens but more likely were used to hold the attention of the subject—a sort of daguerrean-era version of “watch the birdie.”

Show lessRead more
  • Title: Bourquin camera
  • Creator: Bourquin (French)
  • Date Created: ca. 1845
  • Credit line: George Eastman Museum, gift of Eastman Kodak Company, ex-collection Gabriel Cromer
George Eastman Museum

Get the app

Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more

Home
Discover
Play
Nearby
Favorites