Secretan Sliding Box Camera

1/1 plate, beautifully crafted early sliding box camera made of wood, dovetailed, the wooden base is embossed “Secretan Paris”, the brass bound lens with rack and pinion focussing is engraved: 'LEREBOURS et SECRETAN á Paris’, the brass mount shows use but the lens is perfectly clear, comes with the matching brass cap. Marc Francois Louis Secretan was professor of mathematics at Lausanne before he moved to Paris and, together with Nicolas Marie Paymal Lerebours, founded their company in 1845. The company was famous for optical instruments and produced spectacles, telescopes and microscopes. Lerebours is known as one of the very early photographers.