Valery Photo-Étui-Jumelle Detective Camera *
411
Hammer Price
€1,920
incl. Buyer's Premium
Estimate €2,400 – 2,600
Condition : B
Manufacture Year : c.1892
Detective camera disguised as a binocular case. Patented in 1891 by Franck Valéry. The metal body is covered with leather. To use the camera, you open the cover of the 'binocular case' and spread the two sides apart. Two struts hold the back open and accept a film holder. These cameras were made for only a short time, with limited sale success. Very few examples have survived. The leather covering is worn with few parts missing and the shutter needs maintenance, still it is one of the rarest of the disguised cameras and a rare collector's opportunity.