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

“The Wrench” Magic Lantern, $26,438.

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.”

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.