Introduction & contents
Introduction & contents|
Compass Cameras Limited of London England had the Compass 35 made by Jaeger LeCoultre & Cie., Sentier, Switzerland in 1937. The ultimate compact 35mm range finder camera system. A finely-machined aluminium bodied camera incorporating a large number of features in such a tiny volume. The 1938 advertisement declared "Compass the embodiment of scientific system in miniature cameras. Built like a watch - as simple to use." In the 2 3/4" x 2 1/4" x 1 1/4" it embodied "as an integral part of its construction almost all the accessories which normally are carried separately."
24x36mm negatives on glass plates or on roll film with optional roll back for special Compass 6 exposure rollfilm. Ilford marketed three types of film and Wallace Heaton made a special adapter so that Compass film could be enlarged in a Leitz Valoy enlarger. There was also an aftermarket rollback for 828 film made by T A Cubitt of London in the 1960s. Standard accessories included a tripod, cable release with special bayonet mount and processing outfits. The Compass was designed by Noel Pemberton-Billing, aircraft builder, pilot, politician and businessman ( http://www.plimsoll.org/Galleries/Biographies/NoelPembertonBilling/ ). Pemberton-Billing began work on designing the Compass around 1930 and it was finally patented on 16th May 1936. The Swiss company Le Coultre et Cie was chosen because of their skill in watch making. The manufacturing required setting up and the camera was finally launched in March 1937 with a retail price of 30GBP. By 1944 this had risen to 39GBP (ref. No. 2507 8th August 1944 B. Salter & Son Shewsbury, England). There are two distinct versions of the Compass. The later version having a folding focusing magnifier on the ground glass back. Nearly, if not all Compass I cameras were upgraded to Compass II and perhaps fewer than 150 Compass I cameras were made. Production started probably at 1000 and less than 4000 where made; however a surprising number turn up for auction. The differences are:-
Outfits with camera plate back, rollback, case, and instructions have sold for 2500-4000USD. The cameras are also engraved in French and German and carried national identifiers opposite the focal distance tab including CH, CS, D, F, GB, P, D, OC and US. References David Todd, "The Remarkable Compass" in Photographica World No.47 (November 1988), p 15-16 and No.48 (March 1989), p 9-11 has exhaustively researched the Compass and for the first time identified what differed between the Compass I and II. A fascinating book on the life of the inventor of the famous British/Swiss "Compass" camera entitled "Twentieth Century Maverick- The life of Noel Pemberton Billing"...by Barbara Story. (ISBNI- 904408-09-5). I borrowed the book from Pemberton Billing's daughter who lives here in Victoria, BC, Canada. Noel Pemberton Billing was a frantic inventor and indeed a maverick! If he had hired the services of a good business manager he would have been a multi-millionaire, instead of just being moderately wealthy. Mike H. Symons, IDCC Ebay 2003/01/14 3551USD (boxed with tripod), 2003/02/01 2938.88USD (#2850), 2003/-5/-9 3251.99USD (#39xx, box), 2003/04/10 1580USD (#2912 rangefinder cloudy, filters bad, part roll back), 2003/07/06 635GBP (no lens cover), 2003/10/18 1525USD, 2004/05/08 2760USD (box, instructions, tripod), 2004/08/04 1875USD, 2005/01/10 1902USD (#2298), 2006/08/01 40GBP (roll film back), 2006/08/03 1120GBP (No.2218?), 2007/06/24 113GBP (plate back), 2007/12/18 2727.27USD (No 1510) Instruction manual 2005/11/08 52USD (in French) Roll film instructions 2003/06/13 68GBP 4 page advertisement & report 2003/12/28 53USD box for camera and film back parts 2007/10/08 223.50USD How to take snap-shots with the Compass Camera I 2005/01/20 95GBP, 2006/01/10 102.50 USD (Instructions for the use of the Compass Camera And II, How to take snap shots with the Compass Camera I) leather case 2004/02/11 152.50USD (blue) |
Last updated 8th October 2007
