Archive of Original Correspondence between Romain Talbot, Paris,

Romain Talbot established his photographic shop at 50 rue d'Enghien in Paris in 1855, moving to 32 Faubourg Poissonière by 1868. The quality of German production evidently appealed to Talbot, who became one of the first importers of Steinheil lenses in France, replacing the Voigtländer line he had dealt in previously. With the introduction of the Periskope, followed by the Aplanate and the Antiplanete, Steinheil was able to break into the market and remained unchallenged until the appearance of the Zeiss Anastigmat and the Goerz Doppel-Anastigmat. The first body of correspondence spans the period form 18th October 1865 to 29th August 1882. Talbot's last letter from Paris is dated 15th December 1869. He presumably left the city due to the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war in 1870 and business remained quiet from 1871 till 1882. There then followed a break in the correspondence until 1885 when the letters testify to a renewal of business with Steinheil. In addition to correspondence with Steinheil, the archive contains advertising material printed by Talbot on the occasion of the Universal Exposition in Paris of 1867 and a general communication in September 1885 informing customers of the firm's relocation from August-Straße to Brüderstraße 10 in Berlin. In a particularly illuminating letter of 30th December 1899 – the first piece of type-written correspondence in the archive – Talbot offers Steinheil a line of folding cameras of his own production, which are apparently "identical in every respect to those of the competition … and of very good value". Talbot, evidently on the lookout for a retailer of his cameras in South Germany, wanted Steinheil to sell them with Orthostigmat lenses. The documentation concludes in 1905. A general communication of 5th September 1905 informs customers of Romain Talbot's retirement from the firm and the elevation of the former buyer Maurice Talbot to the position of partner alongside Robert Talbot. On 1st October 1905 the Talbot firm announced the sale of its photographic department to longstanding employee Walter Talbot and the future direction of the company as a wholesaler. This folder comprises more than 150 letters and documents. This unpublished archive provides a valuable glimpse into the early photographic industry in Paris and the history of a leading German lens manufacturer!

布雷克拍品等级是为了方便竞买人判断拍卖品的成色而设置的。布雷克等级用1到6级来标注外观和功能的成色，(从非常好到非常差)。 在目录图册里用括号里的2个数字来表示，前一个数字表示外观成色的级别，后一个数字表示功能成色的级别。如(3/2)表示外观成色是3(满意的)，功能成色2(好)。 成色 定义参照下列标准： 1 - 非常好 (未使用过，没有使用痕迹) 2 - 好 (新，极少的使用痕迹) 3 - 满意的 (普通的使用痕迹) 4 - 及格的 (明显的使用痕迹，某个非主要部件是后配的) 5 - 有缺陷的 (极明显的使用痕迹, 某个主要部件是后配的，功能上有缺陷，需要修理) 6 - 非常差 (严重破损, 缺少重要部件)