ENSIGN, Kodak Folding bellows camera. Famous History Analogue camera

Ensign Autorange 1935 + Two Kodak Folding Cameras – Personal Provenance from Photographer Bill Zygmant A fascinating group of three vintage folding cameras from the personal collection of British press and entertainment photographer Bill Zygmant, comprising a rare British Ensign Autorange from 1935 together with two 1930s Kodak folding cameras. All three cameras were personally given to me by Bill Zygmant from his own collection of photographic equipment. I can also provide photographs of myself with Bill Zygmant as supporting evidence of this personal provenance. The provenance relates specifically to Bill’s personal collection of cameras. No claim is made that any particular camera in this lot was used for a specific photograph, assignment or celebrity. 1. Ensign Autorange – 1935 Model The highlight of this lot is the 1935 model Ensign Autorange, a sophisticated British folding rangefinder camera manufactured by Ensign Ltd of London. It is fitted with the highly regarded: Ensar Anastigmat 100mm f/4.5 lens Lens marked N° 55161 Prontor II shutter Shutter speeds including 1/150 sec, together with B and T Coupled rangefinder with double-image focusing Direct-vision and frame viewfinders Front-bed focusing arrangement Rising and cross front movements Folding leather bellows 6 × 9 cm format 120 roll film / E20 film specification The identification as the 1935 Autorange model is particularly interesting. The 1935 version introduced the square-window rangefinder housing and direct-vision finder, distinguishing it from the earlier 1934 version and from the later Autorange-20 introduced in 1937. This is therefore not an Autorange-20, but the earlier and considerably more distinctive 1935 model. The camera is an excellent example of the sophisticated photographic equipment available to serious photographers during the pre-war period. 2. Kodak Junior Six-20 Series II The second camera is a Kodak Junior Six-20 Series II, a classic 1930s folding medium-format camera. Features include: Kodak Junior Six-20 Series II Kodak Anastigmat 100mm f/6.3 lens 620 roll film 6 × 9 cm negatives Mechanical shutter Shutter speeds including 1/25, 1/50 and 1/100 sec, together with B and T Folding bellows construction Folding viewfinder arrangement The Junior Six-20 Series II was produced during the 1937–1940 period, making it a particularly good companion to the Ensign in this collection. 3. Kodak Junior 620 The third camera is an earlier-style Kodak Junior 620, fitted with the distinctive: Kodak Anastigmat 10.5cm f/7.7 lens 620 roll-film format 6 × 9 cm image format Mechanical shutter B and T settings Shutter speeds including 1/25 and 1/75 sec Folding bellows construction This is a classic 1930s German-made Kodak folding camera and provides an interesting contrast with both the more sophisticated Ensign rangefinder and the later Kodak Junior Six-20 Series II. Personal Provenance – Bill Zygmant What makes this group particularly interesting is not simply the cameras themselves, but their direct personal provenance. All three cameras were personally given to me by Bill Zygmant, a British press and entertainment photographer whose career spans decades of music, celebrity and popular culture photography. Bill photographed many of the most famous musicians and entertainers of the 1960s onwards, and his photographic archive includes major figures from the world of music and entertainment. These cameras come directly from his personal collection of photographic equipment. Photographs of myself with Bill can be supplied as supporting provenance for the purchaser. This is an unusual opportunity to acquire a group of genuine vintage cameras with a direct connection to the working equipment collection of an established British photographer. Condition All three cameras show genuine signs of age and previous use, including wear to the leather coverings, chrome and metal surfaces, and other cosmetic marks consistent with their considerable age. The Ensign in particular has substantial cosmetic wear which is clearly visible in the photographs. The cameras are offered UNTESTED. The shutters, film transport, focusing mechanisms, rangefinder, viewfinders, bellows light-tightness and optical performance have not been professionally tested. No guarantee is therefore made regarding operational performance. The cameras should be regarded as collector’s items and/or restoration projects unless the purchaser chooses to have them serviced. Please study all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the description and show the condition of the cameras in detail. A Remarkable Vintage Photography Collection Together, these three cameras provide a fascinating snapshot of photographic technology during the 1930s, from the sophisticated coupled-rangefinder Ensign Autorange to the more straightforward Kodak Junior folding cameras. The 1935 Ensign Autorange is particularly noteworthy, being an early British coupled-rangefinder camera with a fast f/4.5 Ensar Anastigmat lens and Prontor II shutter. Combined with the two Kodak cameras and the direct personal provenance from Bill Zygmant, this is an especially appealing lot for collectors of: Vintage cameras British photographic history Kodak collecting Ensign cameras Pre-war photography Press photography Photographer memorabilia Music and entertainment history Included in the Lot Three vintage folding cameras: Ensign Autorange – 1935 model, Ensar Anastigmat 100mm f/4.5, Prontor II Kodak Junior Six-20 Series II, Kodak Anastigmat 100mm f/6.3 Kodak Junior 620, Kodak Anastigmat 10.5cm f/7.7 All three cameras are offered untested and in the condition shown in the photographs. A genuinely unusual collection with direct personal provenance from photographer Bill Zygmant.

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