What did I buy?

[Greyscale]

What did I buy? by Greyscale3, on Flickr


What did I buy? by Greyscale3, on Flickr

What did I buy at a thrift store this afternoon?

Small German viewfinder folder, Schnieder Krueznach Radionar 1:2,9/75, Prontor II shutter. Sticker inside says "Made in Germany USA Zone". Manufacturer's mark is a stylized trefoil with the letters "A G C". Any ideas?

Aside from the peeling leather and sticky slow shutter speeds, it looks to be in pretty decent condition, but I could use some help identifying it.

ETA I found the initials "FW" on a small steel plate beneath the lens. Franka Werk?

 

[GaryLH]

AGC is the name of the shutter maker.

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Gauthier

Franka work did use Radionar lenses in their cameras..

Here is a site showing pictures of all there cameras if this will help.

http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Franka

My Franka Solida II has "Franka" lightly embossed on both the front and back panel.. I have not found a FW emblem..

Gary

 

[Greyscale]

From that list, it looks like a pre war Solida 4,5×6, but with an S-K lens, and the sticker dates it later. Maybe post war when they restarted production, they had some pre-war parts to use up

 

[jnoir]

From that list, it looks like a pre war Solida 4,5×6, but with an S-K lens, and the sticker dates it later. Maybe post war when they restarted production, they had some pre-war parts to use up

That sounds pretty much spot on. According to this site:

http://www.schneideroptics.com/info/age_of_lenses/

and if I'm reading the serial number correctly (1981708), that dates the lens some time between June 1942 and September 1948, so essentially war time. Franka was probably assembling cameras with what they could put their hands on.