The Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection
1405.2017.1
John Poucher's Balda Camera
20/09/2017
Hermione Cooper
20/09/2017
Balda camera in case with carrying strap and lens hood in attached case
leather, metal
15(L) x 10(H) x 4(W) cms
3
"SUPER BALDIN BALDA WERKE"
brown, silver, black
Balda
Germany
Though perhaps fading from memory a little as the world moves on, Walter Poucher was perhaps the best mountain photographer around in the 1950/60's and famously used a Leica camera to take many images. He did however suggest, on many occasions, that a cheaper camera could do just as good a job as his Leica and seems to have put his money
( albeit less of it) where his mouth was, by acquiring this camera for his son, John.
Whether or not it was one of his own that he passed on, or he bought it specifically for John, we are not sure. The camera was eventually passed on to Walter's grandson who in turn gave it to a guy called Fred Nicholson, a great fan of all things
'Poucher'. Fred completed the chain of events by kindly passing it on to us in 2016 along with a collection of Poucher's books.
Balda was a German company who started making cameras in 1908, though we suspect ours dates from the 1930's. It looks to be in good working order and according to the internet is worth around £60 in 2017.
Donated by Fred Nicholson
20/09/2017
20/09/2017
Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007
20/09/2017