Victorian-era Hasselblad???

[BrianShaw]

Obviously a metadata error, but I found this Google Books return funny:

The British Journal of Photography‎ - Page 813
by Liverpool Photographic Society - Photography - 1856

He's there because apart from exceptional admin, qualities, he KNOWS Hasselblad as no-one outside the inner Hasselblad circle could hope to know it. ...

 

[PHOTOTONE]

There WAS a Hasselblad branded camera sold pre-1920, but it wasn't a medium-format roll film camera.

 

[mwdake]

I think it is something to do with the British Journal of Photography beginning as the Liverpool Photographic Journal.
And I think the 1856 date might be it's first published date or the then current publisher took over.
That Hasselblad excerpt is on page 813 of the 1966 edition of the British Photographic Journal.

 

[paul ewins]

Funnily enough, the Hasselblad company dates from 1841 and were closely alligned to Kodak since the 1880s so if they did any rebranding for the products they distributed then there may well have been a Victorian era Hasselblad, just not in 1856.

 

[Q.G.]

The Hasselblad family/company started trading in photographic goods, including cameras, in 1887.

They sold cameras made in several countries (England, France, U.S.A., Germany and Sweden). Some were rebranded "Hasselblad". On others, they just attached an extra, small badge displaying the company name (from about 1891 "G. & H. Hasselblad", standing for Georg and Hugo Hasselblad).
Not all of these cameras were branded by the original manufacturer, so some may only have a Hasselblad company badge.

In 1908, the trade in photographic goods was transferred to "Hasselblads Fotografiska AB", which continued until 1966.

The Hasselblad cameras we are familair with are the ones produced by Victor Hasselblad's own company, first called "ROSS AB", later "Victor Hasselblad AB".
Victor Hasselblad bought the family companies "F.W. Hasselblad & Co." and "Hasselblad Fotografiska AB" in 1943.
The revenue the latter company generated was used to finance his camera making activities.

The sale of photographic goods was not the only thing the Hasselblad family, and later Victor Hasselblad, were active in. The family company traded in just about everything you can think of.
Victor Hasselblad, of "i am the camera" fame, also owned a paper mill.


The 1856 date is indeed a bibliographic record thing. It marks the year the publication was first published.