"Purma Special"

Raymond Loewy|Purma Camera, Ltd., England

1937 · Plastic, acrylic lens, metal focal plane shutter · Modern and Contemporary Art

The Purma Special was a product of Purma Cameras, Ltd. of London, England, the term "Purma" being derived from the last names of its founders Tom Purves and Alfred Croger Mayo. The black Bakelite case, the design of which has been attributed to the London office of Raymond Loewy, features fine ribbing and a tapering form, with a lens cap that conceals a telescoping lens. Mayo developed the most unusual feature of the camera. The shutter speed is controlled not by a knob, but by gravity. In the horizontal position, the camera has a slow shutter speed. To achieve a fast shutter speed, one turns the camera clockwise to a vertical position, and to achieve a medium speed, one turns the camera counterclockwise to a vertical position. As the photographs are square, the camera positioning does not affect the composition of the images.

Artist

Raymond Loewy|Purma Camera, Ltd., England

Date

1937

Medium

Plastic, acrylic lens, metal focal plane shutter

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

John C. Waddell Collection, Gift of John C. Waddell, 2000