Rollei Art Deco Rolleicord No1

[Stephen]

My now 78 year old Rolleicord No1, the Art Deco chequer plate model, about 1934 by the serial number, which is on the lens and the body, even though some references say it should have a separate body number. Carl Zeiss Triotar F4.5 75mm. Estimated date from dividing the 1933 to 1936 production period by total made, places it in 1934.

Bought many years ago at a Vintage Car Show, it all works fine, although the focus mechanism needs an eye kept on it. The shutter works correctly on all settings, with T and B and 300th, separate settings on the old style Compur shutter.

One piece of chequer plate was missing, on the wind on knob, replaced with leather.

Very difficult to take flash shots of it, it's all reflections!







The back plate exposure and focus guide is very comprehensive, beaten only by the Univex! Slight wear, not too bad for it's age, paint is chipped in places and needs attention soon.

Picture quality is very good, an un-coated lens, it needs a filter and lens shade to work well in bright light. Colour film is OK as well, if a bit pastel in all but bright crisp conditions.

I'll do some sample shots in the next few weeks.

Stephen.

[Berndt]

Beautiful. Looking forward to your sample shots.

Berndt

[Stephen]

I was little worried about the wear and tear looking bad in the photos, the flash makes the nickel plate look worse than it is, but then I looked on Ebay and other sites and saw the prices they can fetch in frankly pretty ropey condition, brassed, and with flaking paint!! I have a case for it as well, stored away separately, (I never store with the camera in case of fungus spores from the leather), it is the plain drop in type.
I will get some Rollei colour film to use in it, but I will try a B/W Agfa film in the meantime.
Stephen.

[mickeyobe]

It's appearance is certainly unique and quite unexpected for a Rollei.

Rather attractive design. It kind of grows on you. Does it change slightly near the top left of the front plate or is it the way I perceive it?

There was a time when I would have been happy to use the tables on the back.

[Stephen]

The nickel plate chequer pattern is as made by F&H, but it does look a bit odd on the front, an optical illusion perhaps. It was the first model Rolleicord they did, I wonder in terms of the period, if it was a "Ladies Camera" design?

They soon changed to a look nearer the Rolleiflex of the period, leaving them looking alike for the entire life of the designs.

Several US makers went for the Deco look, and also some Egyptian design touches, with the 1920's mania for the King Tut look. The other look in the late 1930's was "streamlining", flashes and symmetrical stripes, especially moulded on Bakelite, in the UK Purma and Coronet did this, mainly Ansco in the States. Many French Bakelite camera designs used patterns and deco features.
Stephen.

[Stephen]

By the way, in the UK it was referred to as the "Chequerplate Rolleicord", but the German's referred to them as the "Tapeten-Rolleicord", (the Wallpaper Rolleicord).
Stephen.

[Stephen]

Couple of shots from the Rolleicord in colour.
Stephen.

[Stephen]

And another shot, light was a bit better. The contrast is a bit low from the camera, it is increased by the scan and Gimp.



Stephen

[lloydy]

That's a lovely looking camera, very stylish. And the results are excellent.

[mickeyobe]

Nothing at all to complain about.

Both the camera and its pictures are excellent.

I think the middle picture shows atmospheric haze which can be eliminated in Photoshop by slightly increasing the contrast.
But perhaps that is a natural haze in Europe that we rarely see here - until the invention of smog which is now, fortunately, almost passée. Tho old European master painters often had that kind of atmosphere in their paintings. Modern Canadian painters don't usually add that effect while the old school artists copied their European counterparts.

Mrs. Simcoe, the wife of the founder of York (1792 - now Toronto), General John Graves Simcoe, was an excellent watercolour artist. Most of her landscape paintings have a clear atmosphere.

[Stephen]

The middle shot already had contrast issues, it is masked to show the clouds! The low contrast haze is down to the uncoated optics involved, the other two were in brighter light, and smaller aperture. There appears to be a slight focus shift at the smallest apertures, but it does not affect infinity views.
Stephen.

[steve747]

Seeing this thread, I wonder if anyone can help with my problem please.

My Art Deco Rolleicord which I bought some time ago, has uneven chequered colouring particularly where the straps have been against the body for an extended time

I wonder if there is something I can do to restore an even proper colour.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

[mickeyobe]

I am not being facetious.
Make black and white prints.
This beautiful camera is, after all, black and white.
Sometimes all colours and no colours can not be improved upon.

Soft hazy lighting should even out the reflections.
Although a polarizer might help but one never knows with them until they are tried.

[Stephen]

I thought Steve 747 was referring to the chequer pattern being worn?, rather than the shots, if the body then nothing much can be done, apart from a good deep clean, some of the black enamel in the chequer pattern does go brown with age and sunlight.

Stephen.

[camfiend]

I think that aging that sometimes occurs with black enamel (the loss of both sheen and slight browning) would still look pretty fabulous, just show that the camera has had a life and not just been held on display somewhere.. that is a remarkable finish for a camera, really looks spectacular I think..
nice one Stephen

Bob