Sep 9, 2012

Versailles time warp & some eBay bits

Let's start with the eBay items from the previous blog. The wooden No. 4 Cartridge Kodak with plate back sold for an amazing US $ 599 after 30 bids from 12 different bidders. Small wonder that a second and a third example of naked No. 4 Cartridge Kodaks appeared at the same dealer. They also sold for nearly $ 600.
It is true that the cameras are beautiful and whoever "restored" them, did a very fine job with the wood and brass. If s/he would be as good with leather, I would gladly have my cameras restored by this person. But to avoid any misunderstanding: there is no original wooden Cartridge Kodak, just like there are no wooden Bulls-Eye Kodaks, Falcons, Flexos, Eurekas etc. The only original wooden Kodaks are the Ordinary box cameras of the early 1890s.

The amazing Adams & Co. book camera sold for a meagre 3100 Pounds. My guess would have been at least three times that amount.
The Camp Fire Girls Vest Pocket Kodak with case sold for $ 660 and the No. 1 Panoram with case went for $ 252 to a new owner.

In the past month some other interesting items were up for sale, like a gorgeous No. 2A Beau Brownie in rose with original case. It sold for $ 860.

A No. 4 Folding Kodet Special fetched $ 450. Another one, but in naked condition, is for sale right now. Starting price is $ 100 but no bids yet.

A little treasure that I bid on but didn't get was the portrait of a cute girl with a early 1890s No. 3 or No. 4 Kodak Junior. It went for $ 76.







Nothing Kodak, but a bit historical humbug, is my latest video creation. I called it: Versailles Time Warp. It is the "story" of a lady in the early 1900s who visits the park at Versailles and catches a glimpse of Marie Antoinette walking through the garden. Obviously a case of time warp ;)
My wife says that nobody will understand the video. She might be right, but I enjoyed making it and the result is what I had in mind when I started the project. My video is loosely inspired by the adventure of the two ladies Moberly and Joudain who visited Versailles in 1901 and got mixed up in a time warp (or maybe had just tasted too much wine before the stroll). Humbug or not, here's my video.