Antique Lamperti & Garbagnati Field Camera. Milan, Italy, Circa 1890

Exceptional Lamperti & Garbagnati field camera, manufactured in Italy circa 1890, in 10×15 cm plate format. It is a solid and elegant instrument, built in walnut wood with gilt brass fittings and a folding red leather bellows, perfectly preserved. This type of camera was intended for professional and travelling photographers, offering portability without sacrificing the precision of studio models.

The set presented here retains all its original parts and is preserved in excellent condition. The wooden body displays a deep, glossy varnish that highlights the natural walnut grain. The brass hardware, knobs and hinges are complete, firm and fully functional. The front rack-and-pinion focusing system moves smoothly and precisely, allowing millimetric adjustments of the focal plane. The bellows, in an intense burgundy tone, remains immaculate, without cracks or light leaks. The rear ground glass shows perfect clarity, and the included plate holder fits tightly without any play, allowing continued use with the original format.

The camera is equipped with a Carl Zeiss Jena Anastigmat 1:6.3 F=140 mm No. 8654 lens, a specimen manufactured in Germany towards the end of the nineteenth century. This type of lens marked a true revolution in photographic optics by introducing the anastigmatic design concept, correcting spherical aberrations and allowing uniform sharpness across the entire image plane. This particular model, with its characteristic gilt brass barrel, pairs perfectly with the handcrafted Italian body, creating a visually and technically harmonious ensemble of great beauty.

This camera belongs to the transitional period in which photography moved away from heavy studio models and adopted lighter, more portable formats. Its folding design with a solid structure and extensible bellows makes it a perfect example of Italian travel cameras. The 10×15 cm plate holder and the Zeiss Jena lens give it exceptional optical capacity for portraits and landscapes, offering a surprisingly high image quality even today.

The entire set is complete, functional and in magnificent condition, which greatly increases its rarity and historical value. Lamperti & Garbagnati cameras are very scarce on today’s market, especially those equipped with international optics such as Carl Zeiss.

This camera is not only a technical jewel, but also a tangible symbol of the effort made by Italian workshops to reach the refinement of Central European photography. Every detail reflects the transition from handcrafted photography to precision mechanics, standing as a direct testimony of the expansion of photographic technique in Italy around 1890, when studio practice gave way to the freedom of outdoor work. When contemplating it, one perceives the intact emotion of those early photographers who, for the first time, could stop time with an instrument as beautiful as it was efficient. A piece that combines history, craftsmanship and technology in perfect balance, representing an exceptional opportunity for the demanding collector seeking select, complete examples with real technical and aesthetic relevance.

Measurements: 21 x 14,5 cms (8,27 x 5,71 in)

History of Lamperti & Garbagnati

Lamperti & Garbagnati was an Italian manufacturer and distributor of photographic equipment established in Milan during the second half of the nineteenth century. Although no complete records of its activity have survived, it is known that the firm produced field, travel and studio cameras, as well as high-quality photographic accessories. Its construction style fits within the Lombard artisan tradition, characterised by the use of fine woods such as walnut or mahogany and by great attention to the finish of brasswork and hinges.

The firm represented an intermediate point between local craftsmanship and emerging European technology. Period catalogues and advertisements mention French Darlot and Derogy lenses, as well as shutters and accessories from Germany, proving its involvement in the international network of photographic suppliers of the time.

Lamperti & Garbagnati played an important role in the development of the Italian photographic market before the rise of large standardised brands. During the decades from 1870 to 1890, the Milanese firm supplied professional studios, itinerant photographers and cultivated amateurs seeking equipment of high technical and aesthetic quality.

Today, its cameras are considered scarce and valuable pieces within European collecting. They stand as an essential testimony to the growth of photography in Italy during the era in which local workshops sought to compete with the great names of Paris and Vienna. Cameras signed or attributable to Lamperti & Garbagnati retain the charm of the earliest precision instruments built with artisanal sensitivity and scientific spirit. We are professional antique dealers. To see more photos of this item, Please click on this link:

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