Selenium Light Meter ..... Chrome, glass, celluloid.
factory : FED, Kharkov, USSR .... year :1938 .... serial # : E-3828
notes: This light meter is just 1 1/8" tall, with a diameter of 2". It weighs just under 8 oz. It has a selenium cell, covered with glass on one side and a curved celluloid window to view the meter. Engraved guides for: Film speeds of 100 to 1600 (old X & D exposure system speeds) ... Times of 8 minutes to 1/1000 second ... Aperture settings of f:1.5 to f:18.
This meter has its factory original, fabric-covered, felt-lined inner box and outer box. The outer box has Cyrillic writing in pen on the inside lid, which reads: "Exposuremeter 1222/300". This light meter was bought during World War II, along with a FED camera, by American photographer, C. L. Sands, and bears his name on the top lid of the outer box. The meter reacts only slightly to strong light due to a worn out selenium cell.
more photos at:: nightphoto.com
Three series seem to exist with body in bakelite, aluminium or chromed brass.
In the known serial numbers below, the prefix "3" which sometimes appear seems to be a "E" in cyrillic (probably for Exposure). (info Jacques M.).
Known serial numbers:
3-721 _____ seen on eBay
3-1533 ____ Soviet Camera store
3-2000 ____ Alain Berry collection
3-3828 ____ W. Parkinson collection
5528 ______ seen on eBay
6243 ______ seen on Molotok
6446 ______ Soviet Camera store
11845 _____ PYC collection. Aluminium.
11930 _____ seen on eBay.