The Escopette
The success of the Kodak Original encouraged other camera makers to design cameras capable of using Eastman’s film. This was the case for the Escopette, made by Albert Darier from Geneva, and patented in November 1888.
The Escopette’s name stems from the gun bearing the same name, because of its shape: the camera was mounted on a pistol grip, and a trigger served as the shutter release. It was easily hand-held but could also be stood up using the two movable legs located on the front of the camera. Like the Kodak Original, the camera did not have a viewfinder, but had lines of sight drawn onto the body instead.
In 1889 Geneva photographer Frédéric Boissonnas took a series of photographs of the Vevey Winemakers’ Fair using the Escopette. They were gathered together as a photograph album, which was probably published as a limited edition.
