Very rare antique prototype camera Baudry Isographe Stereo. France, 1938-39

Very rare antique prototype camera Baudry Isographe Stereo. France, 1938-39

The camera presented here is an exceptional piece. An authentic prototype of the stereoscopic model Baudry Isographe, manufactured in France around 1938–1939 and clearly intended for internal design testing before final production. Its experimental character is unmistakable and is confirmed by the combination of constructive, optical and mechanical features that do not match any of the documented commercial versions.

This example displays an unmistakable aesthetic. Hand-machined aluminium front plate, hand-fitted screws, individually reinforced metal structure and an impeccably stitched bellows. But one of the most revealing traits lies in the optical assembly. Here we find two Berthiot Olor Series II f/5.7 lenses, used in French cameras in the 1920s and 1930s. Production Isographe cameras used mainly Boyer Saphir 72 mm f/6.3 optics, the lens that appears in databases such as CollectiBlend, HistoricCamera, Collection-Appareils and in the few preserved French catalogues. The absence of commercial numbering and the artisanal inscription “CP 145” (camera prototype 145 or camera pre-series 145) reinforce the prototype interpretation.

The square finder, of open design and with double frame, is the typical one used in Isographe cameras. Its mechanism is clean and functional, with a high level of preservation. The camera preserves its bellows in perfect condition, flexible, without cracks or deformation. A particularly valuable point in devices of this era.

One of the most important elements of the set is the complete set of metal plate holders for 6×13 cm, in perfect working condition. The holders fit with absolute precision into the rear part, where the divided interior for stereoscopic exposure is visible. The holders are loaded with original stereoscopic plates. The camera is also accompanied by an old box of additional Bauchet 6×13 cm slide plates, together with its instruction sheet.

Its presence is impressive. To own an example like this is to secure a unique piece. It is difficult to imagine a comparable opportunity. An authentic prototype, with fully functional optics, healthy bellows, mechanisms and a complete set of plate holders. The camera is solid, beautiful, historically rare and extremely decorative. A piece that can effortlessly become the visual centre of an advanced collection.

It is an unrepeatable opportunity to acquire an absolutely unique piece, a real prototype that very rarely appears and whose singularity makes it an exceptional find. Integrating it into a collection immediately elevates it, adding a study element that enriches any ensemble dedicated to French precision photography. Its historical relevance is extraordinary. This prototype is a direct testimony of pre-war photographic engineering and of the artisanal tradition of a workshop that left very few documented traces. And beyond its technical merits, it is one of those pieces that evoke emotion from the first moment, capable of transmitting the profound sensation of holding an authentic fragment of history.

Measurements: 15 × 5.5 cm (5.91 × 2.17 in).

HISTORY OF LUCIEN BAUDRY

The Baudry workshop was born in France at the beginning of the twentieth century around the figure of Lucien Baudry, an artisan from Angers and a watchmaker by profession, trained in fine watchmaking and precision mechanics. From this technical foundation he moved on to designing and building small-lot photographic cameras intended for advanced users and very specific markets. He did not work as an industrial manufacturer. His production was artisanal and not highly standardised. This reduced scale deeply shaped the character of all his creations.

Baudry cameras appeared at a time when France had numerous small workshops producing special photographic devices for very specific niches. Within this context, the Isographe series was characterised by a compact design, quality materials and very carefully engineered mechanical solutions. There were monocular and stereoscopic versions. There were also experimental pieces and prototypes that never entered regular production.

The name Isographe appears in monocular models and in stereoscopic forms that evolved during the 1920s and 1930s. Among these variants, the production versions are scarce, but even rarer are the experimental cameras prior to manufacture.

The Isographe cameras combined a compact design with solutions inspired by French scientific instrumentation. Precise metal bodies, clean mechanisms and the use of national optics by leading manufacturers such as Boyer or Berthiot. The later models incorporate Boyer Saphir lenses, whose versions and numberings help date certain units. The fact that this camera features optics earlier than the definitive ones confirms the existence of prototypes used to evaluate configurations before fixing the commercial version.

The preserved documentation is limited, the result of the very small scale of the workshop. Today we know of Baudry thanks to collectors, specialised databases and analysis of the few surviving examples. These cameras represent the most artisanal and least documented side of French interwar photography. Rare objects, produced in very small quantities and with a distinctly experimental character.