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74
carlo ponti (1823-1893)
Megalethoscope en ivoire
Venise, vers
1860
Unique, teak with ivory inlay, H
140
cm, L
110
cm W
66
cm, with
36 views, including some painted for night effect
With this viewer, a well-to-do Italian family could see colored photo-
graphs before the invention of color film. This example is the celebra-
ted one from Naylor’s collection :
«For the past 55 years what has captivated collector Thurman (Jack) Naylor
about photography is just about everything. He has amassed a private collec-
tion that has extended from the pre-photography days of Chinese mirrors and
the earliest daguerreotypes to a miniature digital camera used today as a spy
device... A few steps up to the main living room there resides one of Naylor's
favorite "gems." Called a "Megaletoscopio" and patented in 1859 by the
Venetian photographer and inventor Carlo Ponti, this unique and exquisite
teak and inlaid ivory camera produced the illusion of a color photograph.
Peering through a lens at the front, an 11x14 wet plate photograph, hand-
painted in color on its reverse side, miraculously becomes a richly colored photo-
graph. This dramatically inlaid Megaletoscopio happens to be the only one in
the world. Ponti manufactured a limited number of these devices made of plain
or carved wood. This is the only one made on special order from a wealthy
Naples family, in such a high style. By peering through the lens at the front,
the viewer sees the transformation of an 11x14" black and white Ponti wet
plate photograph change into its richly colored equivalent. There is an oil
lantern (today, an electric light) behind the photo. The Megaletoscopio, which
sits atop a marble base, is made of ebonized teak and every square inch is covered
with inlaid ivory designs. The storage cabinet of this instrument (1862), which
is also made of matching teak and inlaid ivory, contains 30 Ponti photographs
A recent visit to Naylor museum stirred both nostalgia and a touch of sadness
since Naylor has decided to put what may be the world's largest private collec-
tion on the market (A Treasure Trove Of Photographica; Jack Naylor’s
Unmatched Collection Will Move On, Rosalind Smith, Shutterbug Sep 1,
2006)
théâtre italien
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