Food for thought?

[pgk]

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One of the most fascinating things about Leicas is that there is a rich if incomplete history about the photographic equipment produced by Leitz/Leica. Yes, information can be inconsistent and there are numerous anomalies in terms of serial number, upgrades and changes during a model's production. But read on.

I have several Gandolfi cameras. They are famous simply because Gandolfi was the longest surviving camera maker and only ceased production in 2017, having started in 1885. Unfortunately few records appear to have been kept, cameras had no serial numbers and often no maker's mark either. Model designations were poor, confusing and are tricky to determine. Most cameras they built were to some extent at least 'bespoke' in that the customer's could request specifications.

I have two which are un-named. One actually has 'L Gandolfi Maker London' stamped beneath the bellows and to see this requires a torch and dentist's mirror. It is mahogany and can be dated to pre-1928 because that is when Louis (the L) handed the business over to his sons, but is surely earlier and very probably 1880/90s and bulit for a retailer. It is built from fine mahogany and appears to be a 'Universal' Tailboard model from contemporary adverts. The other is made from teak and so similar in so many ways that I am certain that it was also built by Gandolfi. Teak is an unusual wood for a Gandolfi however well before WW1 (shortly after the turn of the century) Gandolfi was given a contract by the 'Colonial Office' to build some cameras for use in India and the Federated Malaya States which meant 'tropical cameras' usually made of teak. So it may well be one of those, and government contracts may well have insisted on no maker's name. Internestingly Gandolfi seem to have made a tailboard model called the 'Imperial' - simply be a name change upon receipt of this contract?

Much of this has to remain conjecture though

So give a thought when puzzled by a Leica oddity that it could be much worse!

[Pyrogallol]

The only Gandolfi I have is one of their wooden tripods.

[pgk]

8 minutes ago, Pyrogallol said:

The only Gandolfi I have is one of their wooden tripods.

A profitable sideline. I'm sure that I've read that they made a lot (more than cameras). I have one and it is certaily stable if not terribly easy to use.

[pgk]

On 12/24/2023 at 3:53 PM, Pyrogallol said:

The only Gandolfi I have is one of their wooden tripods.

Having looked these up it appears that the most commonly seen Gandolfi 'Tripods' are most likely their "Improved Portable Studio Stand" and apparently they made ~12,000 post war.