Lumière Scoutbox

Scout Box of 1938 image by Inspiredphotos (Image rights)

Scoutbox image by Ludovic Laporte (Image rights)

Lumière's Scoutbox is a typical box camera for type No. 120 rollfilm, a camera of a type that was made by camera makers all over the world as one for beginners. It is switchable from instant to bulb mode, and three different apertures are selectable. The early type has the typical "three eye" box camera design with two brilliant finders, one for vertical and one for horizontal shots. The versions of 1935 and 1939 have just one brilliant finder that can be pulled out of the camera to turn it 90 degrees. This feature gives these models a characteristic look. The earlier models have also the advantage of a security mode for the shutter release.

The 1950s model is nicely covered with black leatherette with embossed rhombus pattern. That makes it easily distinguishable from other "boxes for scouts". Boy scouts and girl scouts were an ideal target group to spread beginners' cameras since scouts travelled a lot, saw a lot, and liked to make images of all that.

Early 1934 type; two viewfinders image by Jonathan Foucher (Image rights)

Opened for loading image by Nicholas Middleton (Image rights)

image by Bernard Faure (Image rights)

Links

• old Scoutbox versions with just one finder at Le Vieil Album
• photo examples at Flickr user vsnboots
• Lumiere Scoutbox - all versions at Sylvain Halgand's www.collection-appareils.fr (in French)
• Scoutbox (1934) review at Art Deco Cameras
• Scoutbox (1935) review at Art Deco Cameras
• Scoutbox (1938) review at Art Deco Cameras