La storia della RECTAFLEX

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Sui numerosi cataloghi, listini e pubblicazioni editi dalla Rectaflex, sono riportati quattro diversi indirizzi: si trovano, in ordine di tempo, Via Barnaba Oriani nel 1947 (nome della ditta: S.A.R.A.), Via delle Muratte 43 nel 1948, Via Condotti 91 nel 1949 ed ultimo quello di via Sicilia 162, sempre a Roma, nel 1951. La produzione si svolse sempre, invece, nel moderno stabilimento di via Monte delle Capre, nel quartiere industriale del Trullo. Nella sua breve vita, vi è stata nella Rectaflex una certa improvvisazione e forse anche una programmazione non all’altezza del genio costruttivo che sorresse l’azienda. Presentata per la prima volta alla Fiera di Milano nel 1947, prototipo in legno e metallo aveva le caratteristiche del modello definitivo ed aveva un pentaprisma semplice per la visione reflex raddrizzata verticale/orizzontale ma l’immagine che l’occhio percepiva era invertita (destra/sinistra). Alla Fiera di Milano del 1948 si ripresenta aggiornata, con il pentaprisma a tetto e con la messa a fuoco con stigmometro (brevetto Dott. Picchioni). Padre della Rectaflex fu l’avvocato Telemaco Corsi, dirigente di un'azienda meccanica, la S.A.R.A., facente capo alla C.I.S.A. Viscosa. 
Una vastissima gamma di ottiche, dal grandangolo spinto Angulor 28mm ed il primo "Retrofocus" 1:2.5/35mm progettato appositamente da Pierre Angenieux, al tele 400mm. della Kilfit, tutte le marche più famose in quegli anni, rendevano questo apparecchio il più desiderato e per un certo periodo, attorno al 1950, anche il più richiesto. Purtroppo quando la clientela era molto numerosa, la Rectaflex non era ancora in grado di garantire rifornimenti adeguati, mentre una volta che la produzione fu avviata in pieno (Rectaflex serie 25.000 con 1/1300'), altre marche molto note e con distribuzioni capillari erano già presenti con macchine simili a dividersi il mercato. Comunque fino alla fine la Rectaflex dimostro' una vitalità sorprendente: nel numero di ottobre 1954 di "II Progresso Fotografico" a pagina 429, veniva segnalato a titolo di indiscrezione, una prossima uscita di un apparecchio a carica rapida (tipo "I.S.O. Bilux") e con tettuccio del pentaprisma a due falde inclinate (del tipo poi usato su tutte le altre reflex); veniva pure annunciata la presentazione di una reflex monobbiettivo 6x6 e di una 24x36 per uso esclusivamente scientifico, con possibilità di sostituzione dei vetrini di messa a fuoco. Purtroppo quello era anche l'ultimo numero della rivista sulla quale appariva una pubblicità della Rectaflex. Va ricordato anche il modello dorato, fatto in meno di 10 esemplari e venduto o donato a grandissime personalità mondiali. La Gold era placcata in oro e coperta di pelle di lucertola marrone, (bianca per Papa Pacelli); la doratura del corpo era satinata mentre i bottoni erano lucidi. Di queste macchine, destinate a illustri personalità come il Papa appunto, il Presidente Einaudi, il sovrano egiziano Faruk, sembrerebbe che esistano alcuni esemplari "falsi" fatti a Roma alla fine degli anni 50. L'Avv. Corsi elaborò nel 1953 un progetto anti-Leica, la "Recta" e la Director-35, con un originale telemetro e un grosso mirino centrale. La Recta fu realizzata in non più di 10 esemplari utilizzando gran parte della meccanica della Rectaflex 1300. Aveva i tempi da 1/1 a 1/1000', un ottica ISCO Göttingen Westar 1:3,5/50 mm. con attacco a vite passo 39. L'uscita della "Leica M 3", cui la "Recta" si avvicinava come concezione, distolse il Corsi dal metterla sul mercato. Contemporaneamente progettó la "Director-35", un apparecchio simile ma ancora più sofisticato, destinato alle Forze Armate americane. Director era infatti la società che distribuiva la Rectaflex negli Stati Uniti. Nel 1957, appena uscita la "I.S.O. Duplex", Corsi, oramai completamente fuori dalle vicende Rectaflex costruì, sotto la ragione sociale ECOM, la "Stereo Miniatur". Era un tentativo per rendere più semplice un apparecchio del tipo "I.S.O. Duplex". La ECOM, di cui si conosce l'esemplare n. 00001, faceva due fotogrammi 24 x 27 mm. su film 620. L'otturatore meccanico aveva i tempi di pose e istantanea e le ottiche erano degli ECOM Color 1:7,5/35 mm. La Rectaflex S.p.A. nel frattempo trasformata in Rectaflex International, intorno al 1956 fu ceduta a soci del Lichtenstein che fecero costruire in una industria del Principato (la Contina, che produceva le cineprese Carena e la famosa calcolatrice cilindrica "Curta") un certo numero di apparecchi della nuova serie 40'000. la società nel frattempo fu liquidata ed il marchio, non più rinnovato, sparì.telemaco Corsi invece si dedicò ad un ultimo progetto avveniristico, la "Rectamatic",  per conto della francese SOM Berthiot, apparecchio con otturatore a tendina metallica e tempi da 1 sec. a 1/1000', esposizione automatica in funzione della sensibilità della pellicola e specchio che scivola sul fondo per consentire l'uso di grandangolari spinti. Tale macchina non fu mai prodotta a causa della morte del principale finanziatore.

In the numerous catalogues, lists and publications edited by Rectaflex, four different addresses appear, all in Rome. They are, in chronological order, Via Barnaba Oriani in 1947 (name of th e company: S.A.R.A.), Via delle Murratte, 43 in 1948, Via Condotti, 91 in 1949, and finally Via Sicilia, 162 in Rome, in 1951. The production, however, was always carried out in the modern factory in Via Monte delle Capre, in the industrial zone of Trullo. In its short life, there was a certain improvisation and perhaps also a planning which were not at par with the level of the Rectaflex\rquote s constructive ingenuity. Nonetheless, it is to be considered that this venture took place directly following the second world was which had crippled all of Europe, especially the losing nations. Presented for the first time at the Milan Trade Fair of 1947, in the form of a wooden and metal prototype, it had the characteristics of the definitive model without the pentapr ism for the correction of the image reversal. That is, it had a normal pentaprism, which corrected the image inversion, but the image perceived by the eye was reversed . A few months later (presumably in August of the same year) the actual roof pentaprism was mounted, derived from the "prism of Goulier" . At the Milan Trade Fair of 1948, the Rectaflex was presented to the public in its definitive version, with the roof pentaprism and stigmometric focusing (patent by Dr. Picchioni). The father of the Rectaflex was the attorney Telemaco Corsi, director of a mechanical company (the S.A.R.A.) which was part of the C.I.S.A. Viscosa. Corsi, an enthusiastic photographer, together with a technician of his company, Emilio Palamidessi, had studied and planned the camera and entrusted the S.A.R.A. with its production after having convinced the entrepreneurs to invest large funds in the venture. (It is also said that the Rectaflex project was the work of a certain street photographer named Assenza, and that it was later edited by Palamidessi and finally sold to the attorney Corsi for Lit. 10,000.) The company's life was toiled from the very onset: the camera had stirred a great interest at the Milan Trade Fair, and many people wanted it; but it was only a prototype . It took approximately two years until it was officially placed on the market. Perhaps it was due to the inadequate launching of this extremely promising and highly sophisticated product; or it may have been the failure to satisfy deliveries, resulting in monetary penalties. In any case, after seven toilsome years of continual product modifications, the substitution of the company's president, Corsi, by the Leon Baume, absolved contracts for the furnishing of 30,000 cameras to the American Army and finally, the company's changing ownership, Rectaflex was closed and liquidated at the end of 1955.

PRODUCTION: It was said at the time that the Roman factory achieved the record production of 1,000 cameras per month, in addition to the numerous accesso ries, which constituted a complete system for all amateur and professional applications. Actually, I believe that all together no more than 10,000 cameras were produced in seven years, subdivided into six models of which three were predominant. The mode ls produced at the Roman factory between 1947 and 1954 were:
1947-1948 Rectaflex Standard 947 (pre-series produced in a very limited number in order to test the camera\rquote s characteristics)
1948-1954 Rectaflex (eight different series, the first six featuring 1/1000 and the last two with 1/1300)
1950-51 Rectaflex Junior (two series, both with shutter speeds from 1/25-1/500)
1953 Rectaflex Rotor (with a three-lens turret and a rifle butt upon request; shutter speeds from 1/1 to 1/1300.
1956 Rectaflex 40,000 (named after its serial number; on the pre-series level, it was partially constructed in both Rome and in Mauren in the Principality of Liechtenstein.) This strange and rare camera was never commercialized. It featured diaphragm pre-selection, but the standard series-lens that was to be mounted is unknown. It was usually used with the Macro Switar by Kilar, also produced in Vaduz.
Certainly, the only pre-selection lens for this camera, most likely produced on no more than the pre-series level, was a particular Schneider Xenon 1:1.9/50mm with a light meter mounted onto the lens itself. \par Its large range of lenses from the most famous brands of the time (from the wide-angle "Rectofocus" 1:2.5/35mm planned exclusively by Angenieux, to the telephoto 400mm by Kilar) made this the most desired and most requested camera around 1950.
Unfortunately, when the clientele was numerous, Rectaflex was still unable to guarantee adequate provision, whereas once production was in full swing (model 1300), other important companies with capillary distribution were already present with similar cameras to divide the market.
In any case, until the end, Rectaflex demonstrated a surprising vitality. On page 429 of the October 1954 edition of "Progresso Fotografico" an add mentioned the future release of a rapid-advance camera (type I.S.O. Bilux ) with the same pentaprism housing used on today's SLRs (with two inclining surfaces). A new 6x6 SLR and a 24x36mm, exclusively for scientific use, were also announced, both allowing for the substitution of the ground-glass focusing screens. Unfortunately, that was the last edition of the revi ew in which a Rectaflex advertisement appeared.
We should not forget the golden model, of which less than ten were produced, to be sold or donated to world-famous personalities such as the Pope, President Einaudi, President Eisenawer and the Egyptian King Faruk. It was basically the Standard camera (until now we know of two model 1000 (King Farouk) and six model 1300s) plated in gold and covered in brown or white lizard skin. The body's gold plating was satin, whereas the buttons were polished. Some fakes were produced in Rome in the '50s.
In 1953, the attorney Corsi planned an anti-Leica camera, the "Recta", with an original rangefinder and a large central viewfinder. Six of these cameras were produced, largely of the same mechanics as those of the Rectaflex 1300. The Recta's shutter speeds ranged from 1/1 to 1/1000, and the lens was an ISCO Gottingen Westar 1:3.5/50mm with a 39mm diameter screw-mount. The release of its counterpart, the "Leica M3" dissuaded Corsi from placing it on the market.
In the same period he also planned the "Director" for the American market, a similar camera, without the rangefinder. The Director was actually the society of S.A.R.A., which distributed the Rectaflex in the U.S. In 1957, ju st after the release of the "I.S.O. Duplex", Corsi, by now completely removed from the complex of the Rectaflex, constructed the "Stereo Miniature" under the trade name ECOM . It was an attempt to simplify a camera such as the "I.S.O. Duplex" . This ECOM, of which the number 00001 is known, exposed two 24x27mm frames onto 620 film. The mechanical shutter had various speeds and the lenses were ECOM Color 1:7.5/35mm.
The Rectaflex Company was sold to the partners in Liechtenstein, who had a certain number of cameras (the 40,000 series, mentioned above) constructed or rather assembled in a factory in Principate (Carena). However, these cameras had the defect of not being light-tight. The Rectamatic was also announced as another of Corsi's projects. This had a metal curtain shutter with speeds from 1/1 to 1/1000 and automatic exposure based on the film speed. The mirror slid to the base to allow for the use of extreme wide-angle lenses. This camera was never produced as the company was liquidated, and the name "Rectaflex", no longer revived, vanished as well.

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