Early 20th Century Camera Lucida for Drawing

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20th Century Camera Lucida

c. 1st Half of 20th C.

Origin: France

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DESCRIPTION:
This camera lucida provides a wide variety of adjustments and is provided with a large selection of corrective lenses. It attaches to a table by a C-clamp. The C-clamp has a lockable angle brace which can be fixed on the extension pole by tightening a small knob. The extension has three draws, the last of which has rack and pinion adjustment. At the top is the support for the camera which is hinged so that the extension can be angled, and yet the camera remain horizontal. There is a fitting on the front of the camera to accept any one of the dozen included lenses. These provide the ability to vary the magnification of the subject being studied and correct for the user's abnormal visual acuity if present.

HISTORY:
This is a camera lucida of the type produced in great numbers in France during the first half of the twentieth century. It provides many more adjustments than the earliest models did. It also has a much shorter prism which is enclosed in a metal housing rather than being exposed, as in the earliest models. For more on the history of the camera lucida, see the history section of the page on the earlier example in this collection.