The Daily Book of Photography

DAY 88

PHOTOGRAPHIC CURIOSITIES

Revolver Camera

GIVING NEW MEANING TO THE TERM “PHOTO SHOOT”

Beginning in the mid-19^th century, a variety of cameras appeared that were made to resemble walking canes, pocket watches, hats, and handbags. Perhaps the most peculiar permutation was the camera that looked similar to a revolver. Initially developed in Paris in 1862, Thompson’s Revolver Photographique was later copied by other manufacturers. These cameras functioned in the same manner as a pistol would: The shutter release was a trigger, the cylinder would rotate the plates of film, and, in lieu of a viewfinder, the camera had sights on top of ...