An Engraved Camera I Don't Actually Mind!

[Vince Lupo]

I'm sure for many Leicaphiles, a personalized engraved camera is not something we'd normally want to purchase. But in this case, I actually like it!

The engraving is so nicely done, and it could possibly be that of the original owner (?). I looked up the address on GoogleMaps, and it appears that it's still a residential building.

Wouldn't it be interesting to find out more about this camera and its owner!

 

[Vince Lupo]

This is interesting -- I just Googled 'Helga Plumacher', and this came up:

http://translate.google.com/transla...a=X&ei=4L_pT5LrDaX_6QHvjfj6DA&ved=0CFQQ7gEwAQ

Don't know if it's the same Helga!

 

[Speedfreak]

Was Solingen US occupied after WWII?
Where did you get the camera?

 

[karlori]

I'd venture a guess that you have an IIIc K camera that belonged to the US Army... Great find ! (BTW i have the same font and engraving style on one of my german daggers ...not gonna post a picture as there is questionable imagery all around that but I'd say the engraving is also contemporary to the camera ).

 

[Livesteamer]

Very Nice. My most used camera at the moment is a 1942 IIIc. I know a little of its post war history but I wish I knew more about it's early years.

It will also outlast me and I wonder who will use it/want it in the future.

Thanks for the nice photos. Joe

 

[Vince Lupo]

Thanks for the replies guys -- I'm pretty sure it's a IIIa, about 1937. As far as where I got it, I honestly don't remember whether I bought it off eBay or KEH -- it may have been one of those mysterious crap-shoot KEH cameras that didn't have a photo, was described as 'engraved', in bargain condition, etc. Don't think I paid any more than a couple of hundred dollars for it. Frank Marshman/Camera Wiz did a full CLA on it about a year ago, and it works perfectly.

 

[karlori]

I didn't even check the front of the camera just the serial, sorry :/ ... But a mighty nice find nevertheless.

 

[haempe]

Grah & Plumacher (also: Grah & Plümacher) is/was a factory for open razors in Solingen.
I think, also with branch(es) in the USA.

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

maybe we should have a "Show me your engraved Cameras W/NW"

 

[Vince Lupo]

Just did a bit more Googling, and it seems that the Helga Plumacher mentioned in that article about the plane crash is in fact her.

From the Schilling Family Tree:

Schilling Hellmuth Buschmann ( 1 , 45 ), n. Osorno August 31, 1916, + crash, Lake Rupanco, February 1977 cc Helga "Helly" Plumacher [n. Solingen, Wever, June 18, 1918, + Lake Rupanco February 1977]. No children.

Seems that she was living in Chile at the time. And if you think of it, she was 19 years old when she got this camera!

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

What a nice thread this is. Thanks everyone.

Regards, David

 

[nikon_sam]

Nice story...glad you were able to get the answers you were looking for...
Normally when you hear that a camera is engraved it's usually by someone who happens to owns a Dremmel and has either a DL# or SS#...
This engraving is well done, on the bottom and adds a nice little bit of provenance...

 

[MISH]

I certainly would not mind a engraving of that high quality and it is very nice to be able to attach some history to the camera ...... I always wonder what kind of things my cameras have been through before reaching my hands...... I have considered engraving the bottom of one of my Contax IIA cameras as a memorial to the close friend they came from. Not concerned about resale as the sentimental value is irreplaceable and I promised to give them heavy use

 

[Livesteamer]

This raises a crazy question that some like myself might be crazy enough to care about.

How can you non destructively record some provenance on a camera that is built to last generations.

I know some about my two IIIc's I would be interested to pass on to the future owners. (Who probably wouldn't care.) Joe

 

[jarski]

my IIIG has seen pretty much use, small marks in chrome all around. but has no indication about its history. shame it cannot tell its story, like Helga's can. thx for sharing!

 

[farlymac]

I just got an SLR (Canon Pellix) the other week, and not only was it 'engraved' (more like chicken scratchings) with the owners name and SS#, he did it on the top, back, bottom, and around the lens too. To top it all off, he put a Dymo lable on the bottom. The camera was junk anyway, and I really bought it for the lens. But if it had gone $5 higher, I wouldn't have touched it. I couldn't see the scratchings in the photos, and if I had, would not have bid on it. So, no external parts can be used off this hulk, except for the winder lever and rewind knob. The shutter works though, so I might be able to salvage that. I have other cameras with engravings on them, but not as extensive as this one was done up. I like the Helga engraving, as that was done by an expert, and gives the camera provenance. But what this joker did to the Pellix borders on idiocy.

PF

 

[Vince Lupo]

This is the thing about this camera -- as some of you have said, when you see a piece of equipment that's been owned by someone who went nuts with an engraving pen, we generally stay away from it. But this Leica is so nicely done, that I think it really adds to the camera in a positive way. And after having found a bit of information on the person (and this is simply by my having done a bit of online research), it makes it even more intriguing.

I sent an email to the fellow who seems to manage the Schilling family tree/genealogy website, as well as someone with the last name of Plumacher who lives in Solingen to see if they might know of any further information on Helga. Don't know if I'll get any kind of response from them, but it's worth a try!

Now I guess I better start taking some photos with this camera, eh?!

 

[nikon_sam]

This raises a crazy question that some like myself might be crazy enough to care about.
How can you non destructively record some provenance on a camera that is built to last generations. Joe

Just like this previous owner did...they put the information (name/address) on the bottom plate which can be covered with a camera case (if they made one for it) or in a worst case scenario you just replace the bottom if you really hate the engraving or just want to return it to it's original condition...engraving on the top plate where there might be a serial number to me is more damaging...

 

[David Hughes]

And vice versa

And vice versa

Hi,

I was wondering about this the other day, only the other way round.

I'd found a repair receipt that was 30 or 40 years old and wondered if I should publish the camera details and serial number; just in case someone on RFF would come back and say that they'd got it in their collection and had bought it in a flea market...

An I've one or two Leitz export certificates I was thinking about that were found in pockets in the camera cases.

Regards, David

 

[Austerby]

My IIIa has an engraving on the base: From Jack to Tony, 1958. I like to think this was a gift between Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis myself, but have no way of ever proving it true or untrue.