Versailles

The Versailles was a project camera announced by the French maker Pontiac. It was meant to take 6x6cm pictures on 65mm perforated film (better known as 70mm film). Its shutter was to be a synchronized focal plane shutter from 1s to 1/2000, with self-timer. It would have received interchangeable lenses made by Berthiot, together with accessory finders. All these characteristics are mentioned in an advertisement by Pontiac.

Vial says a Versailles II was announced with coupled rangefinder, and a Versailles III single lens reflex with a lens turret. These two last projects were probably only vaporware.

The fate of the Versailles is essentially unknown. Vial has proposed that the body was sold to Lumière and became the Lumiclub 6x6 collapsible and Lumière 6x6 folding camera. Princelle has proposed instead that it was taken over by OPL and became the Focasix 6x6 coupled rangefinder camera. The Lumière theory seems more solidly sustained.

Bibliography

• Histoire des appareils français, B. Vial, ed. Maeght
• Foca Historica, by Jean-Louis Princelle, ed. Cyclope