Gnome Cameras

Here are the Gnome cameras in my collection with date of introduction and film type.

The Categories ⓘ

The Art Deco cameras on this site are divided into 5 Deco categories - Early Deco, Period Deco, Streamlined Deco, Deco Influenced and Late Deco. A Wider Collection category contains cameras in my collection that are unrelated to Art Deco.

Star System - Deco Strength ⓘ

I use a star system to show Deco strength. Each camera is rated by how strongly it embodies Art Deco style, from iconic five-star classics to those with incidental Deco elements. It's a quick way to see at a glance how Deco a design really is.

Gnome

	Model	Date	Film
	Pixie	1949	620
	Pixie II	1951	620
	Pixie Flex	1951	620
	Pre-view	1952	620

History

Gnome Photographic Products actually had its roots in pre-war Stuttgart. It was there that Heinrich Loebstein set up a small factory that produced photographic equipment. His fine quality enlargers, viewers and projectors were exported to various parts of the world, including Cardiff. Loebstein came to Britain in 1938 and set up a factory in Britain's first industrial estate at Treforest. The Treforest complex was meant to encourage new types of industries to south Wales which was still suffering the harsh economic blight of Depression. Gnome was one of the very first companies to establish itself there. Eighteen months after the outbreak of WW2 the Ministry of Aircraft Production took over his new factory at Treforest and Gnome relocated to Cardiff. There they produced enlargers for the Admiralty for use in aerial reconnaissance. After the war Gnome moved into new premises on Caerphilly Road, Cardiff, which became their home for many years to come. They continued to manufacture enlargers and projectors which they exported to 72 different countries.