Difference between revisions of "Lechner"
(Note Lechner died in 1895. Ref showing Muller survived him.) |
(Another ref, almost certainly our Muller, giving his date of death, and saying he was a German.) |
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| − | '''R. Lechner & W. Müller''' was a photographic dealer in Vienna, from the late 19th century until at least 1930. The named proprietors were Rudolph Lechner and Wilhelm Müller, but in fact, Lechner died in 1895:<ref>Rudolph Lechner at [https://de.wikisource.org/wiki/BLK%C3%96:Lechner,_Rudolph Wikisource] (Lechner's entry in the Austrian National Encyclopaedia) and [https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q94692696 Wikidata].</ref> the company is named on camera labels as 'R. Lechner (Wilh. Müller)'; Müller continued the business after Lechner's death.<ref>Set of commemorative photographs on the occasion of Müller's 60th birthday in January 1909, celebrated as Chairman of the Association of Austro-Hungarian Booksellers; seen for sale online by Abe Books.</ref> Lechner inherited a bookselling and publishing business, and was publisher and bookseller to the University. He and/or Müller diversified it into photography. | + | '''R. Lechner & W. Müller''' was a photographic dealer in Vienna, from the late 19th century until at least 1930. The named proprietors were Rudolph Lechner and Wilhelm Müller, but in fact, Lechner died in 1895:<ref>Rudolph Lechner at [https://de.wikisource.org/wiki/BLK%C3%96:Lechner,_Rudolph Wikisource] (Lechner's entry in the Austrian National Encyclopaedia) and [https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q94692696 Wikidata].</ref> the company is named on camera labels as 'R. Lechner (Wilh. Müller)'; Müller continued the business after Lechner's death.<ref>Set of commemorative photographs on the occasion of Müller's 60th birthday in January 1909, celebrated as Chairman of the Association of Austro-Hungarian Booksellers; seen for sale online by Abe Books.</ref><ref>[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_M%C3%BCller German Wikipedia] has only a 'wanted page' on Müller, but what is almost certainly 'his' entry in the name-list on this disambiguation page is ''Wilhelm Müller (Publisher) (1849–1928), <u>German</u> publisher, bookseller and camera-maker''.</ref> Lechner inherited a bookselling and publishing business, and was publisher and bookseller to the University. He and/or Müller diversified it into photography. |
Certainly, by 1895, the company made some cameras and dealt in photographic goods. They also operated a portrait studio, and published books including photographic works. The business was at 31 Graben in the centre of the city. Their cameras and publications carry the Royal warrant ''K. u. K. Hof-Manufactur f. Photographie''; the firm was an appointed supplier to the Royal family. | Certainly, by 1895, the company made some cameras and dealt in photographic goods. They also operated a portrait studio, and published books including photographic works. The business was at 31 Graben in the centre of the city. Their cameras and publications carry the Royal warrant ''K. u. K. Hof-Manufactur f. Photographie''; the firm was an appointed supplier to the Royal family. | ||
Revision as of 10:27, 9 February 2024
R. Lechner & W. Müller was a photographic dealer in Vienna, from the late 19th century until at least 1930. The named proprietors were Rudolph Lechner and Wilhelm Müller, but in fact, Lechner died in 1895:[1] the company is named on camera labels as 'R. Lechner (Wilh. Müller)'; Müller continued the business after Lechner's death.[2][3] Lechner inherited a bookselling and publishing business, and was publisher and bookseller to the University. He and/or Müller diversified it into photography.
Certainly, by 1895, the company made some cameras and dealt in photographic goods. They also operated a portrait studio, and published books including photographic works. The business was at 31 Graben in the centre of the city. Their cameras and publications carry the Royal warrant K. u. K. Hof-Manufactur f. Photographie; the firm was an appointed supplier to the Royal family.
Cameras
- Tailboard-style Reisekameras, mahogany.[4] The camera allows front rise and cross movements, and rear tilt. It has a 'reversing' back; that is, the back can be detached to orient it vertically or horizontally.
- Field cameras, mahogany, folding conventionally, sometimes named as Werner, in several sizes.[5] The camera allows front and rear tilt, and front rise and cross movements. The examples cited have a rotating back (they switch from horizontal to vertical without detaching the back).
- Taschenkamera ('pocket camera', though the example seen is for 12x15cm and packs in three substantial leather cases); metal-bodied strut-folder with a focal-plane shutter.[6][7] The camera has a shallow metal body housing the focal-plane shutter, and an unpleated leather bellows, extended on 'chambre à joues' struts on each side: other than these unusual struts the camera resembles many strut-folding focal-plane cameras like the Goerz Ango. It has helical focusing. It has a shoe-mounted brilliant finder (or perhaps a Watson finder) on top of the body: a Newton-type finder is more common on such cameras. There is also a bubble level. In addition to the FP shutter, there is a simple hinged flap shutter on the front of the lens; a lens-cap on a hinge. This might have served for long expposures, or perhaps it serves to cover the lens while tensioning the FP shutter, if this is not self-capping.
Notes
- ↑ Rudolph Lechner at Wikisource (Lechner's entry in the Austrian National Encyclopaedia) and Wikidata.
- ↑ Set of commemorative photographs on the occasion of Müller's 60th birthday in January 1909, celebrated as Chairman of the Association of Austro-Hungarian Booksellers; seen for sale online by Abe Books.
- ↑ German Wikipedia has only a 'wanted page' on Müller, but what is almost certainly 'his' entry in the name-list on this disambiguation page is Wilhelm Müller (Publisher) (1849–1928), German publisher, bookseller and camera-maker.
- ↑ Reisekamera examples:
*13x18cm tailboard Reisekamera outfit with two lenses, wooden tripod and outfit case, dated to 1895 by the auctioneer, sold at the 38th Leitz Photographica Auction, in June 2021;
*20x25cm Reisekamera with Dallmeyer soft-focus lens, dated c1910, sold at the 22nd Westlicht Auction, in November 2012. - ↑ Field camera examples:
*16x20cm Field camera with 180mm f/7.2 Meyer Aristostigmat, dated c1920, sold at the 36th Leitz Auction, in June 2020.
18x24cm Field camera with ROJA (Emil Busch) Porträt Anastigmat (no shutter), dated c1920, sold at the 31st Westlicht Auction, in June 2017.
18x24cm Field camera with 18cm f/4.5 Xenar (no shutter), dated c1930, sold at the 30th Westlicht Auction, in November 2016.
18x24 Field camera set up for stereo, with Suter lenses in stereo shutter, dated c1910, sold at the 37th Leitz Auction, in November 2020; the ground glass apparently replaced with bathroom-window glass! - ↑ 12x15cm Taschenkamera with f/6.3 Zeiss Anastigmat, and three detachable plate magazines, each with built-in changing bag. Dated c1920. The property of Archduchess Maria Therese of Braganza (at Wikipedia), the stepmother of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Sold at the 32nd Westlicht Auction, in March 2018.
- ↑ Anleitung zur Handhabung von Lechner's Taschen-Camera (Instructions for handling Lechner's pocket camera); Ferdinand Probst, Ch. von Reissner & M. Werthner. 53 pages. Published by Lechner & Müller. Sadly only a listing; no e-book exists.
Links
- Photographic card of the funeral of Gustav Mahler in May 1911 in Vienna, bearing Lechner & Müller imprint, and stating 'Mit Lechner's Werner-Kamera aufgenommen'.
