General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

2

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

cast aluminum body with synthetic covering/ glass optical components/ synthetic parts

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

12.2 cm

Width

7.0 cm

Height

8.8 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Photography

Category

Still cameras

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Bilora

Country

Germany

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

late 1950s+

Canada

One of five cameras acquired form Mr. André Cloutier of Ottawa. Mr. Cloutier is a collector & amateur photographer; his images have appeared in ``Popular Photography``. He was a soldier with the Canadian Armed Forces & NATO & used his equipment in Canada & Europe. Mr. Cloutier supplemented his income by working part time in photographic departments of various stores such as Hougen's in Whitehorse, Yukon; Pascal & Sears in Ottawa. He often acquired cameras & accessories in these stores using his employee discount. Mr.Cloutier purchased this camera in Whitehorse, Yukon circa 1965 at Hougen's (see Ref. 3). He was stationed in Whitehorse from between 1965-1968 & also worked part time at the store, selling cameras & processing films. The Konica was his first fully automatic camera; it was his favourite camera & he used it extensively for many years. The camera was also used by his wife who was less familiar with the art of taking pictures, hence the bright orange stickers with instructions on the camera

Function

A device used to record still images on light sensitive film in a two-dimensional format.

Technical

An example of an inexpensive camera of the late 1950s from Germany, whose camera industry in that period played a large role in the economic revival of that country. It is a manual, simple camera for 4x4 cm. exposures on 127 roll film, but styled like a 35mm camera. The shutter is 2 speed synchronized for magnesium flash & coupled with a film advance to prevent double exposures. This camera was given to Mr. Clouthier by a friend. Even though it is a very simple camera, Mr. Clouther kept it because of its visual qualities, the sentiment shared by R. Hicks in the Feb. 2005 Shutterbug article in which he admits to collecting the camera because it is ``cute`` (Ref. 2). From McKeown's price guide to cameras: Bella 44, circa 1959; second version of Bella 44 had new top housing with larger finder; camera name on shutter face and Achromat f8 lens; 4x4cm on 127 film. Bilora was founded in 1909 as a metalwork factory and its first box camera was manufactured about 1935. Shortly after WII production of box cameras. In the 1950s and 1960s large quantities of simple box and viewfinder cameras were produced. Toward the end of the 1960s, production ceased (Ref. 1)..

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

red & silver logo on top reads "BILORA"/ incised black lettering on shutter face read "16___8", "BELLA 44" & "Achromat 1:8"/ raised lettering on back reads "WEST GERMANY""O Y W"/ yellow label inside reads "OTTAWA CAMERA CLINIC/ Repairs, Photo - Movie Supplies/ 875 BANK ST. CE. 2-6137"

Missing

appears complete

Finish

silver finish on body with grey simulated leather covering lower body/ black synthetic parts/ colourless transparent glass

Decoration

parallel ridges on metal front panel/ incised lines in panels on top