A Very Rare Semi-Olympus Camera and its' Forerunners.

This lot is comprised of a rare Semi-Olympus, a Proud Semi-Sport, a Balda Baldax (leatherette missing from bottom of drop-front) and an early Koho shutter (slow speeds sticking).

The first camera to bear the Olympus name (only around 400 made) this Semi-Olympus (Model I) from circa 1936 is fitted with an early Zuiko 75mm f4.5 lens #1142* and is very rare with its' Compur shutter configuration. The Deckel nameplate at the top of the shutter assembly has been covered by having an Olympus plate fitted over it. Shutter is firing.

Originally the bellows on this example were very worn and unusable so John replaced them. Unable to find an exact match, he fitted a slight larger set of bellows which means the camera does not now fold completely. The remains of the original bellows, as well as a few other parts, are included with this lot.

Probably the most important camera in the John Foster Collection and featuring on his website (www.biofos.com/coll/subcoll/folder.html) the Semi-Olympus was the first camera fitted with the newly developed Zuiko lens. A folding camera for 16 6x4.5 exposures on 120 film, Olympus did not actually make the camera, their first Zuiko lenses were mounted on a Semi-Proud body supplied by the Japanese company Proud. In turn, the Semi-Proud was copy of the German Balda Baldax camera. The Semi-Proud Sport had a German Deckel shutter.

In order to keep the history of this camera intact, also included in this lot are Johns’ Proud Semi-Sport and Baldax cameras. Several shutter variations for the Olympus-Semi are known and also included is an early Koho shutter (possibly from the Semi-Olympus Model II) bearing the Olympus name and fitted with an Collie Anasigmat 7.5cm f3.5 lens.

*This camera is also featured on the Camerapedia website (camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Semi_Olympus ). See footnote notes 20, 21, 25 & 26.

Provenance: The John Foster Olympus Collection