"Purma Special"
Attributed to Raymond Loewy American
Manufacturer Purma Camera, Ltd., England British
The Purma Special was a product of Purma Cameras, Ltd. of London, England, the term "Purma" being derived from the last names of its founders Tom Purves and Alfred Croger Mayo. The black Bakelite case, the design of which has been attributed to the London office of Raymond Loewy, features fine ribbing and a tapering form, with a lens cap that conceals a telescoping lens.
Mayo developed the most unusual feature of the camera. The shutter speed is controlled not by a knob, but by gravity. In the horizontal position, the camera has a slow shutter speed. To achieve a fast shutter speed, one turns the camera clockwise to a vertical position, and to achieve a medium speed, one turns the camera counterclockwise to a vertical position. As the photographs are square, the camera positioning does not affect the composition of the images.
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