Lily (original)
The Lily (リリー) are Japanese plate folders made by Rokuoh-sha, the manufacturing branch of Konishi or Konishiroku (predecessors of Konica). This page is about the models made before the introduction of a metal body in 1930. These models exist in meishi, tefuda and hagaki size.
For the later metal models, see Lily (metal).
Contents
The vertical model
The original model was called Lily Portable Camera (リリー手提暗函), then Lily No.1 (リリー壹號) after the introduction of the No.2. It is a vertical folder, only known in tefuda-size (8×10.5cm) and reportedly introduced in January 1909.[1]
Description
The vertical Lily has a mixed construction with a wooden main body and a metal folding bed. The bellows have double extension, driven by a knob on the photographer's right. The front standard is made of various metal parts assembled together, instead of the single U-shaped part found on later models. It allows vertical and horizontal movements. There is a brilliant finder atop the left branch of the front standard, and a bubble level is normally attached to it. The name Lily is inscribed on a round plate attached to the left-hand side of the body.
Commercial life
Various lens and shutter combinations were offered in 1909 for the Lily Portable Camera:[2]
- Goerz Dagor Ser.III No.0 lens,[3] Compound shutter, ¥120;
- Simili (シミリア) Anastigmat, Koilos shutter, (¥65);
- Universal Rapid lens, Auto shutter, ¥50.
A black leather case was offered for ¥3.50. No more detail is given about the Simili Anastigmat lens and the Auto shutter.[4] One source also mentions Zeiss Protar and Tessar lenses, and says that a Rodenstock Extra Rapid Aplanat was introduced in 1912.[5]
The vertical model was still advertised in 1922 as the Lily No.1, along with the horizontal Lily No.2.[6] The camera presented in the illustration is indistinguishable from the model pictured in the 1909 advertisement. The following versions are listed, but no price is given:
- Voltas f/8 lens, Victo shutter;
- Idea Anastigmat f/7.5 lens, Victo shutter;
- Velostigmat No.4 f/6.3 lens, Auto shutter;
- Collinear f/6.3 lens, Compur shutter.
Surviving examples
The surviving examples present small variations. Two types of folding struts are known: the narrow type is the same as pictured in the 1909 and 1922 advertisements cited above, and the other, presumably later, type has a wider base.[7]
One examples are known with the wider struts and a Gammax shutter.[8] Another reportedly has a Wollensak Velostigmat Ser.IV (135/6.3) and an Optimo shutter (T, B, 1–300).[9] It has no bubble level and has a black instead of polished metal brilliant finder.
An example of the vertical Lily is known with a slightly wider body, called "Lily No.2" in Sugiyama for some reason.[10] It has a folding Newton finder on the left side of the body, in addition to the brilliant finder. The rest of the camera is similar to the Lily No.1 with narrow struts. Its reportedly has a Wollensak Voltas f/8 lens and a Victo shutter (T, B, 10–100).
The horizontal models
Bibliography
- Kikuoka Sei (菊岡清). "Konica history 3. Meiji 41-nen – Taishō 12-nen." (Konica history 3. 明治41年–大正12年. From Meiji year 41 (1908) to Taishō year 12 (1923).) Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.10, September 1987. No ISBN number. Konishiroku kamera no rekishi (小西六カメラの歴史, special issue on Konishiroku). Pp.24–32.
- Lewis, Gordon, ed. The History of the Japanese Camera. Rochester, N.Y.: George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography & Film, 1991. ISBN 0-935398-17-1 (paper), 0-935398-16-3 (hard). Pp.23–4.
- McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). Pp.538 and 543.
- Sugiyama, Kōichi (杉山浩一); Naoi, Hiroaki (直井浩明); Bullock, John R. The Collector's Guide to Japanese Cameras. 国産カメラ図鑑 (Kokusan kamera zukan). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1985. ISBN 4-257-03187-5. Items 1177–22.
- Tanaka Yoshirō (田中芳郎). "Meiji–Taishō jidai no Konishi Honten no kamera wo shiru tame no hon" (明治・大正時代の小西本店のカメラを知るための本, Books about the Konishi Honten cameras of the Meiji and Taishō eras). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.10, September 1987. No ISBN number. Konishiroku kamera no rekishi (小西六カメラの歴史, special issue on Konishiroku). Pp.92–4.
Links
In Japanese:
- Special Lily and Neat Lily at Asacame
- Wooden Lily in the Junk Binbō blog
- Lily no.2 and more pictures in Miyazawa Noriyuki's camera site
- Pages of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website:
Konishiroku prewar and wartime cameras ( ) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
plate | hand cameras | stereo hand cameras | strut folders | box | telephoto | SLR |
Idea (original) | Idea A | Idea B | Idea Snap | Idea No.1 | Idea (metal) | Lily (original) | Lily (horizontal) | Lily (metal) | Tropical Lily | Noble | Ohca | Sakura Palace | Sakura Pocket Prano | Sakura Prano | Idea Binocular | Sakura Binocular Prano | Minimum Idea | Idea Spring | Korok | Champion | Cherry | Sakura Army | Sakura Honor | Sakura Navy | Idea Telephoto | Idea Reflex (1910 and 1911) | Idea Reflex (1932) | Neat Reflex | Sakura Reflex Prano | |
rollfilm | folders | box or collapsible | TLR | |||
Pearlette | Special Pearlette | B Pearlette | Pearl (for plates and rollfilm) | Pearl No.2 | Pearl (Year 8) | Baby Pearl | Semi Pearl | Sakura Palace | Record | Sakura (box) | Sakura (bakelite) | Sakura-flex |
- ↑ Date: chronological list given in the official company history Shashin to tomo ni hyaku-nen, reproduced in Tanaka, p.94 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10. The same date is given in Kikuoka, p.26 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
- ↑ Advertisement for the 1909 Lily Portable Camera reproduced in the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website.
- ↑ This page at R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha says that the Dagor lens is a 120/6.8.
- ↑ This page at R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha only says that the Simili Anastigmat lens has f/7.7 aperture.
- ↑ A Protar Ser.IIIa No.1 (120/9) and a Tessar Ser.IIb No.4 (135/6.3) are listed on this page at R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha, which also mentions the Rodenstock Extra Rapid Aplanat from 1912.
- ↑ Advertisement dated 1922 reproduced in this page of the R. Konishi Rokuoh-sha website.
- ↑ Example with narrow struts pictured in Kikuoka, p.26 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10. Examples with wider struts pictured in Kikuoka, p.26 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10, and in Sugiyama, item 1117.
- ↑ Example pictured in Kikuoka, p.26 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
- ↑ Sugiyama, item 1117.
- ↑ Sugiyama, item 1119.