Exposure Calculator made by the Regional Soviet Prodkombinat of Dzerzhinsky .
This type of guide was used by photographers before selenium light meters became widely available. It measures just 9.5 x 11 x 1 cm. and dates from the late 1920s or 1930s. The impressed, gold-printed cardboard cover has a "PDR" logo and reads "GUMP LENGORISPOLKOMA PROMKOMBINAT DZERZHINSKY RAISOVET" (loosely: "Main Controller Agency of Metal Industry of Leningrad Executive Committee - Industrial Combine of Dzerzhinsky Regional Advisory").
The back is impressed with Cyrillic writing relating to the original price of the booklet. Inside, in a pocket, resides a round adjustable exposure calculating device whose wheels are actual photographs, contact printed onto silver-gelatin emulsion coated photographic paper. There may have also been a paper table in the opposite inside pocket, now missing. The booklet is hand-made and although very popular and numerous at the time they were used, few have survived, having been discarded after the widespread use of selenium and electronic mechanical light meters.
(Click to enlarge)
Created by nightphoto on 9/1/2007 9:49:05 PM | Last Edited by nightphoto on 9/1/2007 9:51:31 PMRevision History