# Stereoscopic camera "La Litote"



## Dany (Mar 28, 2019)

When I discovered this camera recently, its particularly weird aspect made it very attractive to me and therefore I hardly bargained it .
It is French, called "La Litote", produced in very small quantity and sold circa 1902 by a small company called Korsten.
This kind of camera shows a body  with a truncated prism form.
Cameras of this form are called "Jumelle" (which means binocular in French) and are typically a French invention as the majority of such cameras are coming from France.
They were called "Jumelle" because they had to be hold in hand in front of the eyes like binoculars
Jumelle cameras were proposed of the mono or stereoscopic type.
A particular feature of this camera was the setting of the apertures. Done by sliding through the lens a brass plate drilled with holes of different diameters. The plate is engraved with a double aperture numbering system. I need to make some search to find which are the corresponding aperture numbering standards.
On front, at left above the lens at is a connection for a pneumatic release by a bulb and a lever for Instant / time switchover. At the center is the shutter cocking .
Below the lens is the speed selection knob with the engraving "Lent/Moyen/rapide" (slow/medium/fast)

The front plate seems to be made of varnished brass. The camera uses 45x107 mm format plates


----------



## Tropicalmemories (Mar 28, 2019)

Fascinating.  Thanks for posting.

So does it need a special viewer to see the 3D pictures?


----------



## Dany (Mar 28, 2019)

Yes, you need one. 
You need a stereoscope, some were cheap and made from cardboard.
Some others were more sophisticated
Graphoscope


----------



## webestang64 (Mar 28, 2019)

You sure find some neat stuff Dany. Very interesting piece as well as the Graphoscope.


----------



## vintagesnaps (Mar 28, 2019)

Is that ever cool!! Great find and I enjoy reading about it, you know your stuff.


----------



## otherprof (Mar 28, 2019)

Dany said:


> When I discovered this camera recently, its particularly weird aspect made it very attractive to me and therefore I hardly bargained it .
> It is French, called "La Litote", produced in very small quantity and sold circa 1902 by a small company called Korsten.
> This kind of camera shows a body  with a truncated prism form.
> Cameras of this form are called "Jumelle" (which means binocular in French) and are typically a French invention as the majority of such cameras are coming from France.
> ...


Great find. Particularly interesting to me as I recently saw the show on 3-D images at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. They have hundreds of viewers of all types but few cameras on display.


----------



## Dany (Mar 30, 2019)

Stereo viewers may be the subject of a particular collection.
This type of hand held viewer is called "Mexican" by specialists ( I don't know why)
The maker was Underwood &Underwood
I may show some pictures of other viewers of my collection if some are interested by the subject


----------



## Mitica100 (Apr 19, 2019)

Just beautiful!!! Great find.


----------

