The Longchamp was a 3x4 pseudo TLR sold by the French distributor Boumsell during World War II. It had a black or brown bakelite body, a meniscus lens and a time & instant shutter (marked Pose and Inst). On the shutter plate it was marked LONGCHAMP, MARQUE DÉPOSÉE and MADE IN FRANCE.
Vial suggests that the Longchamp was made by FAP, the maker of the Norca. As Sylvain Halgand points out, the Longchamp is very similar to some cameras made by the American company Monarch (sold under such names as Flex-Master or Royal Reflex). It is possible that FAP, whose Norca was already a copy of the Argus A, copied them for Boumsell. It is also possible that Boumsell directly bought the bodies to Monarch, despite the "Made in France" marking.
In 1947, Boumsell sold the Auteuil, an enhanced version of the Longchamp. Both cameras wear the name of a famous French horse race track.
Bibliography[]
- Vial, Bernard. Histoire des appareils français. Période 1940–1960. Paris: Maeght Éditeur, 1980, re-impressed in 1991. ISBN 2-86941-156-1.
Links[]
In English and French:
- On www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand
In French:
- Longchamp at Clicclac
- Boumsell cameras at G. Langlois' site, showing a Longchamp