The Maton with its instruction book and film cartridges
1930: The Maton.
This unusual French camera was made of Bakelite and held by a handle on the back into which three fingers could be hooked. Inside, an angled mirror reflected the image from the lens through 90 degrees and down onto paper-baked film running along the base of the body. It shot 24 exposures 24x30mm. Turning a side-mounted crank advanced the film and fired the shutter in sequence. Shutter speeds of 1/25–1/100sec were adjusted by a control above the lens, with a lever to adjust apertures beneath. With the addition of a suitable light source, the camera also acted as a projector.
Side view showing the handle that wound the film and made the exposure
With the side of the body removed, showing the film path along the base of the camera