Cameras/Pony Premo no. 2
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Question
Hello, I work at the Art Gallery of Alberta, and we presently have a display of 19th century french photographs. There are two antique cameras on display, and one of them is a Pony Premo no. 2. I noticed a small box that appears to have a lens in it at the front right corner of the camera. My question is, what is that small box for?
Hello Rod,
That is the camera's "reflex" or "waist level" viewfinder. Open the camera for shooting, press the back of the camera against your belly, and look down into the little glass screen on top of that teeny box. Don't bend over or bring the thing up to your eye. You're supposed to look at it from eye level height to about waist level height. You should see a small reflected image (if the internal mirror hasn't deteriorated) of whatever the camera is aiming at. After all these years, the image is usually pretty dim. This was how it was done with late 1880's through 1920's folding bellows cameras when held in the hand, just a means of aiming the camera, and focus distance was "guesstimated" in advance and set by means of the calibrated scale on the camera's bed. Not terribly precise or technologically challenging, but it did the job well enough in most cases. If mounted on a tripod instead, you could use the camera in the more traditional view camera method by focusing more accurately on the ground glass screen in the back of the body. This was most necessary in low light or other situations demanding long exposure times, but, in general, amateur photographers defaulted to the quicker and simpler method of guessing the focus distance and aiming with the waist level viewfinder.
Best wishes,
David F. Silver - President
International Photographic Historical Organization
silver@photographyhistory.com
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David Silver
Expertise
I'm an expert on all types of antique, classic, and contemporary cameras, as well as the general history of photography. Everything from ancient box cameras to modern single-lens-reflex; from simple Kodaks to sophisticated Leica and Nikon; from glass plates and roll film to movie and 35mm. I can identify and appraise them, explain how they work, and offer insights on their restoration and care. I can also provide historical background on vintage cameras and equipment, and guidelines on their purchase and sale.
Experience
I've been a professional photographer and a student of the history of photography for nearly 30 years. During that time my collection of vintage cameras and photographic paraphernalia has grown beyond 2000 significant pieces. I've published nearly 70 articles in the field, including 16 in the popular "Buying Classic Cameras" series for PHOTO SHOPPER MAGAZINE from 1995 to 1997, I'm currently a contributing editor for CAMERA SHOPPER MAGAZINE and McKEOWN'S PRICE GUIDE TO ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC CAMERAS, and I've written numerous entries for WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA. Portions of my collection have been displayed in museums and special exhibits in the past two decades, and many of the items were photographed as illustrations for books. In 1985 I founded the International Photographic Historical Organization (InPHO), which eventually evolved into its intended purpose as the best first resource for information on the history of photography. I'm also a founding member of several e-mail forums dedicated to specialized areas of photography, and I'm the moderator of the Internet Directory of Camera Collectors (IDCC), which remains the largest and most successful such group in the world. For more information about the International Photographic Historical Organization and its many services, please visit its web pages at:
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