Focus on Early Brass Lens in Germany Leads to $50,230 Winning Bid

Photograph a Verres Combines by Charles Chevalier, 1848, $50,230.

Focus on Early Brass Lens in Germany Leads to $50,230 Winning Bid

COLOGNE, GERMANY - The traditional spring 2003 auction of photographica and film by Auction Team Breker offered more than 1,000 lots, representing a cross-section of photography and movie technology.

Auctioneer Uwe Breker reported a successful sales quota of more than 90 percent, which he said "showed again the leading position of the German specialty auctioneers on the international world market."

"The Wrench" Magic Lantern, $26,438.

Highlighting the sale's results, an early photographic brass lens from 1848 brought $50,230. The lens, a Photographe à Verres Combinés by Charles Chevalier, Paris, started at $33,000.

Other highlights were a Rolleiflex Jersey camera, 1996, which sold for $ 5,948; a rare black Contarex I, 1964, that fetched $11,897; a Leica No. 367, 1925, which brought $9,517; a black Leica M3, 1963, that realized $7,931; and a prototype periscopic panoramic camera, 1956-59, sold for $6,609. A giant collection of 531 Original-Kaiser-Panorama-Stereoskopic Slides by A. Fuhrmann, Berlin, circa 1915, fetched $11,897; and a rare stereo viewer by Ernemann realized $4,362.

There was also tremendous interest in early objects of movie technology and the precinema era. Highlights here included: a Magic Lantern Aladin by Ernst-Plank for $2,776; a Laterna de Orient: 1001 Nacht, 1896, for $17,185; a Tri-unial Magic Lantern, The Wrench, circa 1890, for $26,438; a 35-mm movie camera, Cenex, circa 1925, for $6,874; and a movie camera, Cinephon BR, circa 1955, for $5,948.

All realized prices include 20.17 percent tax and commission.