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 appears seems to be an "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.