Sample wanted

 Original promotional booklet for the Compass Camera

The Compass Camera was a marvel of miniature construction and remains one of the most important and sought-after of all classic cameras. It was invented by an Englishman, Noel Pemberton-Billing and was first manufactured (by Swiss watch-makers, Le Coultre) in 1937. This small 48 page book is un-dated but must have been published to coincide with the first launch of the camera, since it includes a section on associated apparatus that “will be available in due course”.

It’s difficult to say whether this publication was intended simply to publicise the Compass Camera or as a technical guide for owners. It includes specific sections on all the various functions of the camera (shutter speeds, lenses, panoramic and stereo images and so on) plus other technical detail; information about the development and manufacturing of the camera; a guide to after processes; and information about support services provided by the manufacturer and British distributor. There are fourteen sample photographs in the book (ten are full page), all of which were taken with a Compass Camera. The book also has two full page images of the camera itself, each with a laid-on tissue sheet over-printed with a guide to the camera’s functions. It is certainly an official publication, being published by Compass Cameras Ltd of Berners St, London. 

Ebay 2003/04/02 125.90GBP, 2003/08/31 128GBP, 2004/01/09 88GBP, 2004/02/02 117GBP,  2004/07/03 68.66GBP, 2005/03/11 144.29USD, 2006/07/24 91USD, 2007/04/23 109.98GBP, 2007/05/06 36.88GBP

Last updated 1st July 2007