CRANSTON, RI.- Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers, in partnership with Coronado Trading of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho will present a two-part camera extravaganza sale on Saturday, March 28th, live in the Bruneau & Co. gallery at 63 Fourth Avenue in Cranston, and online (Part 2 only) via several bidding platforms. In all, more than 800 lots will be sold to the highest bidder without reserve.
Part 1, starting at 10 am Eastern time, is a pre-sale auction event, with more than 175 lots being offered to a live audience, with no Internet bidding. Phone and absentee bids will be accepted. Part 2, starting at 12 noon, will feature over 600 cataloged lots of 35mm and small format vintage cameras, to include rare and unusual cameras and lenses, generous boxed lots and a great selection of hard-to-find items.
All lots are from a single-owner collection out of Saratoga, Calif. It was brought to the attention of Bruneau & Co. by James Supp of Coronado Trading, who’s well-known to TV fans as a mustachioed appraiser on Antiques Roadshow. He’s also a contributor to the Bruneau podcast The Justuff League. He and a friend, Dr. Russell Young, helped catalog and organize the sale.
“It was such an exciting time getting to work on a vast collection such as this,” Mr. Supp said. “Collectors will be coming out of the woodwork to get their hands on some of these lots. It was also a great opportunity to work with Bruneau & Co. on a collaborative effort. Always fun working as a team.”
Dr. Young added, “After organizing this collection, you pretty much have the spectrum of 20th century photographic history in terms of cameras. Looking at these cameras was like walking into a major museum.”
Kevin Bruneau, the president of Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers, expressed awe and gratitude that the collection made its way to him from across the country. “It’s going to be amazing to see all the collectors from around the world who pay attention to the auction,” he said. “There’s truly an eclectic mix of cameras with some models that I’m sure will bring a surprise across the block.”
Travis Landry, a Bruneau & Co. specialist and auctioneer, likened the sale to a prior one in a different category when he said, “Just like the antique telephones, this auction is going to be an unbelievable learning experience. I can’t wait to see what pops and drives collectors crazy. This is a big change of pace from toys, comics and fine art. It’s going to be an awesome experience.”
Fans of vintage Canon cameras will be treated to a Canon Model IV S 35mm SLR camera, circa 1952-1953, including neck strap, skylight filter and lens cap, plus one Serenar 50mm f/1.8 lens; and a Canon Model II B 35mm SLR camera, circa 1949-52, marked “Made in Occupied Japan”, with a fitted leather case and Canon Serenar 50mm f/3.5 lens. Both have estimates of $300-$500.
Lenses will feature a Kern Macro-Switar AR 50mm f/1.9 lens for Alpha mount, with lens hood, lens cap and original box (est. $800-$1,200); a Kodak Ektar 35mm f/3.3 lens for Ektra mount with no signs of wear and perfect glass (est. $400-$600); and a Voigtländer Nokton lens 50mm f/1.5, for Leica L39 LTM mount, an early legendary Leica lens (est. $400-$600).
Zeiss is a name that’s coveted among camera collectors and aficionados. Lots will include:
• A group of three Zeiss Ikon Contax III 543/24 35mm rangefinder cameras. Includes one fitted leather case and three lenses: Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8, Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 50mm f/2, and Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 50mm f/2 with lens hood (est. $300-$600).
• A group of three Zeiss Ikon Contax II 544/24 35mm rangefinder cameras. Includes one fitted leather case and two lenses: Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 50mm f/2.8 and Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 50mm f/2 (est. $300-$600).
• A Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta 532/16 folding rangefinder camera, for 120 film, circa 1951. Includes a fitted leather case and a Zeiss-Opton Tessar lens 80mm f/2.8 (est. $100-$200).
Doors will open on auction day right at 8 am Eastern time. Online bidding will be facilitated by bidLIVE.Bruneauandco.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Bidsquare.com and Invaluable.com, or by downloading the mobile app “Bruneau & Co.” on iTunes or GooglePlay. Previews will be held on Thursday, March 26th and Friday, March 27th, from 9 am-5 pm. All times quoted are Eastern.
