MEDIA RELEASE PR38049
The Oldest and Most Expensive Camera in the World! Estimate Euro 500,000 - 700,000
VIENNA, Jan. 27 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
- Cross reference: Picture is distributed via EPA (European Pressphoto
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On the 29th of May WestLicht Photographica Auction in Vienna, Austria
will auction a historical sensation: a ' Daguerreotype' - the first
commercially-produced camera!
The wooden sliding-box camera was made in Paris in September 1839 by
Alphonse Giroux, Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre's brother-in-law. Daguerre, the
inventor of the first practicable photographic process, signed the camera to
verify its authenticity. Only five days after the first public announcement
of photography on August 24th 1839, the first advertisement for the
'Daguerreotype' is printed in the 'Journal des Debats'. There is no record of
the total number of cameras that Giroux produced, but since cheaper and
improved cameras came onto the market relatively quickly, it is assumed that
the numbers were very limited. Only very few of these cameras are known to
exist worldwide and all of those are in public museum collections.
The Giroux 'Daguerreotype' up for auction has been found recently. It was
in private ownership in northern Germany for generations and has never before
been documented. The outstanding original condition of the 170 year-old
apparatus is remarkable. Never before has a camera of this kind been offered
for sale by auction. An original manual in German language from 1839 is also
included in this sensational sale. It is expected that WestLicht Auctions'
own world record price of 576,000 Euros for a camera will be significantly
exceeded. Starting price is Euro 200.000, the estimate is Euro 500,000 -
700,000.
Detailed press information and additional press images:
All press material may be used for publications related to WestLicht
Photographica Auction only.
For further questions please contact
Martin Reinhart
WestLicht Photographica Auction
Westbahnstrasse 40
1070 Vienna, AUSTRIA
T: +43-1-523-56-59-16
reinhart@westlicht.com
SOURCE: WestLicht Photographica Auction
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