Lefort Workshop (ca. 1846 - 1861)

Figure LW.1 – Photo © Rod Bantjes.

Henri Lefort (1804-1880) began his toy-making business sometime at or before 1846. It was located at 35, rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin, Paris. By 1852 he was registered as a maker of optical instruments. However, his interest had begun to shift away from the optical machine toward making paper dioramas or "tissue views" for the stereoscope.^[1]

 

He was still making optical boxes in 1856. However by 1861 his business listing changed to "Lefort (P.-H.), stereoscopic slides, groups, interiors, churches, picturesque views on card and dioramic, Faub.-St-Martin, 33," suggesting that while he was still making images for the popular polyorama panoptique, he was no longer making the boxes themselves.^[2]

 

All of these boxes are in the family Polyorama characterized by their ability to accept and display, with characteristic flaps for top and back illumination, the paper dioramas produced in the Lefort Workshop.

 

The rectangular boxes without adjustable lenses – the Early Boxes and the Boîtes Lorgnette – constitute a genus with two species.

 

The polyoramas panoptique, with the characteristic bellows for lens adjustment, are a genus with numerous species.

Boîte Simple 14:
	EXBD-69056	DFF-90-A-351	MNC-M03371

These are probably the first of the viewers for the popular 10 x 14 cm format of paper dioramas.

 

They are simple and standardized with only slight variations. For example, EXBD-69056 has a plain mahogany front while DFF-90-A-351 has Lefort's characteristic green patterned paper. MNC-M03371 has a top-entry slot while the others are all side-entry.

Boîte Simple 20:
	MNC-M04936

This boîte is for larger format images (20 cm wide). It is depicted alongside the Polyorama Panoptique that superseded it in 1849.

Boîte Lorgnette:
	Boîte 1

This box is for viewing circular, translucent images similar to, but slightly larger than, those for the Lorgnettes Pittoresque.

 

Lorgnettes Pittoresque:
	Black Tin	Chinese

The Lorgnettes Pittoresque which have identical structure and use identical images are part of a single species with variations.

Polyoramas Panoptique:
	Medium	Large

The defining feature of the Polyorama Panoptique is the bellows for adjusting the lens position.

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