Wonderful Antique Expo Pocket Watch Camera with Rare accessories!

I love antique cameras, as I'm sure many of my frequent browsers may know, but this little gem just fascinates me...

It was built during a purely experimental time, when commercial photography was still in its relative infancy. Developed by an enterprising young Swede by the name of Magnus Niell, the Expo Pocket Watch Camera and its twin, the Ticka Pocket Watch Camera were a revolution, when the design was patented in 1904, even if the marketing and names hadn't been solidified yet. He was still in his early-30s, but had stumbled upon some truly revolutionary design ideas.

Not much is known about this enterprising young engineer. He was a citizen of Sweden, but worked in London, Cologne and eventually, moved to New York where his ideas blossomed into the patented brilliance you see before you. He went on to develop several designs for other manufacturers, including the much-lauded Ensignette, which gained fame as the "Soldier's Camera" during the first World War. What was to be known as the "Expo," however, has a murky history...
What we do know is this: Niell's patent was granted in 1904 and the Expo Camera was almost immediately available and incredibly successful. The Expo Camera Company had such success that it attracted world-wide interest. By 1905, British manufacturer Houghton had bought the rights to the design and introduced their own version, the "Ticka" Pocket Watch Camera (the tongue-in-cheek play on 'ticker' alludes to the watch-like design). Later versions took the design elements further with the introduction a front-facing watch face that aided the photographer by showing their angle. Apart from its diminutive size (it was one of the smallest camera available, at the time), it was also the first camera to introduce a day-light swappable film cassette. The 1906 introduction of the Ticka was equally successful and even made its way into movies and spy novels, alike. The portable and versatile film cassette allowed the sneaky photographer to take 25, 5/8" x 7/8" exposures, either with an instant 1/25th shutter or a time-release exposure that was controlled rather clumsily by the shooter. The tiny lens was hidden in the neck or 'winder' area, and with the timed shutter, the user would have to remove the cap (disguised as the winder) to take the photo. This almost always resulted in a very blurry shot, but the instant shutter was excellent. In the 1920s, Niell sold the company to a US dealer G Gennart who continued to release various models of the camera for a further decade, to further success. Measuring a mere 2 1/8 x 7/8 inches and weighing only 2 3/4 ounces, it was wildly popular and available for a total of 34 years! That level of staying power speaks volumes to the brilliance of Niell's design.

Now comes the task of dating this particular specimen - a task that is significantly more challenging than I had assumed. Firstly, we have to look to the design elements of the body of the camera. In the original patent, the shutter button was just that - a tiny cylindrical button placed in the exact same location as ours. Our shutter button, however, is a small tab that is pushed in the same manner, but is found only on Niell's 1907 patent for a more advanced Expo design (which never did come to fruition), and some later examples. That precludes it from being a very early piece. However, the engraving of the "Expo" name does correspond with earlier runs, but we find that same engraving on some later examples, too. However, the winder on the reverse is a simple handle, with no swinging piece that is common in examples starting in the 1910s. The winder we see on our example is the same one that is shown on the original patent of 1904. The exposure counter, as well, is in a very uncommon location. Placed near the top of the camera, this counter was later found next to the winder, positioned closer to the center of the body. These last two design elements indicate an early example of the camera. But then, we look at the viewfinder. It is a marvelous little thing, still in remarkable and fully-functional condition. It clips onto the neck and allows the shooter more freedom and accuracy during their shoots. Two models were available, the A (a simple ground-glass lens for horizontal shots) and the B (the 'Brilliant, reversible finder' that could be adjusted and swung to the side for vertical shots, as well). The brilliant finder which we have only became available 3 years after the camera's introduction. My estimates of the year of manufacture are based on those factors, as well as the printing found inside the camera, the molding on the film cassette and even the font of the "I" and "T," indicating the shutter speed. I would estimate this piece to be from the late-1900s to as late as the late-1910s. I wish I could be more precise, but lacking any sort of serial number, this is the best I could do.
Does it really matter, though? It remains a more than 100-year-old piece of engineering brilliance and photographic history. And even better... it works very well! The shutter is functioning and quick (although the timed shutter can be a touch finicky, unless the guide is positioned just after the "T"), the interior is beautiful and the counter spins and counts perfectly. The nickel plated exterior isn't in the best shape, but still in admirable condition. The film cassette is slightly marred, but given the rarity of these pieces, I'm still in shock at the condition. The viewfinder, as mentioned, is in wonderful condition, as well. The box, however, is not ideal. It is original and used to be a beautiful, purple velvet. Although we can see the remnants of this once-handsome fabric, it has faded significantly in the century that has passed. The forms underneath, however, are admirable complete and sound. The lid of the box... well, let's just say it's just barely there. The top lid and one edge are still relatively married, while 2 of the other 3 are missing and the last is no longer connected to the box. Honestly, I'm shocked it's still there, at all. The chain connecting the cap, the brilliant viewfinder and the included film cassette are very rare pieces and I'm just smitten by this little marvel.

This is a beautiful and functional example of a brilliant piece of photographic history, with rare and very desirable accessories. It would make a wonderful addition to any antique photograph collection.

As always, should you have any questions or comments, I'm always happy to answer messages.

Thank you for visiting C&K!