Ballester Our History

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About Us

"The pride for the good done.
El Orgullo por lo bien hecho."

Our History

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Rafael Ballester Arnal who planted the seed of the Photography inside Vicente Ballester Torregrosa was born in Valencia, Spain in 1885; When was 25 years old “listened the winds of the south of Spain” and started a new life in the other side of the oceans and began his career in the new continent in 1910, after 7 years only working enjoyed the life in Mexico and with some capital opened his business horizons and introduced in the Photography in Mexico, that effort was until 1933, when with his own capital returned to Spain where putted his first company named Manufacturas Ballester dedicated to a manufacturing fine woods with his own machine invented by him, carving in a mechanized way fine woods to obtain exceptional mouldings, and working for the local consume and sometimes exporting to other countries but never forgot the Photographic Line, in 1935 meet who would be his wife, therefore in 1938 was born Vicente Ballester Torregrosa, Dn. Rafael and his family were there until 1950, there they lost all his capital suffering the consequences of the Spanish Civil War and “sailed trough the oceans to America" once again; In 1950 Founded Manufacturas Ballester (Photographic Equipment), He lived in Mexico working hard with his family and teaching all the knowledge to his son Vicente, who was his disciple and provided his company because Dn. Rafael had a heart-disease, so in 1956 died, leaving Vicente Ballester Torregrosa on charge of his family, when he was only 17 years old and working extra-time with the little company that was inherit from his father. In 1966 Dn. Vicente got married and his three children started working very young and collaborate with his wife to reaching day by day the prestige known by all the clients that have a Ballester Camera, all the satisfied clients whose has repair his Professional Equipments and the all the Photographers.
Today Ballester® is a solid company that is in a new process of changes, which had have a lot of them, and is attempting to break in the International Market and open his horizons to a new business relationships with other countries. Ballester® is now a fresh ideas company, never forgetting his roots and the traditional photography that continue been current. May be this process can take some time, we might offer new surprises.

1910

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1910 Rafael Ballester Arnal arrive to Mexico and putted a store in which was a Photographer Technician and made photographic equipment of all of kind, also was dedicated to the Professional Photography, Teaching Photography, Buying and Selling Photographic Equipments, was importer from Europe and U.S.A, having the representation and exclusivity how seller of machines GAUMONT from the Paris (France) house, selling gramophones VICTOR COLUMBIA POLYPHON and records (discs) VICTOR COLUMBIA BRUNSWICK OKEH.

1924 Rafael Ballester Arnal putted another business as a Photographer Technician and Specialist in precision machinery.

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1933 Rafael Ballester Arnal leaves Mexico and arrives to Valencia, Spain
30’s (last middle of the thirteen decade), Rafael Ballester Arnal made a machine for the Spanish government for the photographic process of the credential (identity card).

1938 Was founded Manufacturas Ballester, Articles manufactured in fine woods, his most important product was the carving mouldings for frames, architecture, and furniture (The machine which produced these mouldings was a Rafael Ballester Arnal´s invention and these mouldings were exported to America and Europe).

1940 Valencia, Spain: The first 8x10” enlarger (Amplifier). He putted a buying-selling (trading) store.

1950 Rafael Ballester A. and his family left Spain and went to America.

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1950 Rafael Ballester Arnal arrive to Mexico again and founded the actually Manufacturas Ballester oriented to the Professional Photography and as a Photographic Technician of fine brands, almost all European brands like Leica, etc..

1952 The first product made by Dn. Rafael Ballester Arnal was the 8x10 inches Contact Press made in mahogany varnish by wrist technique, further contact press were made also in 5x7”, 11x14” and 20x24” by mass production, were sell mainly during the fifteen decade to American Photo and Kodak, and some photographers directly in the factory.

1954 The 8x10” enlarger (Amplifier) by order and the first 5x7” Multiplying Backing made in mahogany varnish by wrist technique.

1956 Dn. Rafael Ballester Arnal died (January 22nd.)

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Photos: The Shop and the Repair-shop

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1957

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1959

1957 The first 5x7” enlarger (Amplifier) by order.

1958 Was redesigned the Manufacturas Ballester logo and was made another 8x10” enlarger (Amplifier).

1959 Was made a Cartoons Camera by Dn. Vicente Ballester T. for Mr. Claudio Baña.
In a mass production the Varnish of retouching for negatives to adhering the graphite, for professional photos.

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1960

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60’s During the Sixteen decade were sell a lot of 5x7” Multiplying backings to Kodak (for Burke & James cameras imported by them).
Was redesigned the multiplying backing finished in semi-matt gray paint. Was designed the 4x5” Multiplying Backing
The repairment of Professional Photographic Equipment took others dimensions and allowed to handle a lot of International Brands like Hasselblad®, Rollei®, Nikon®, Leica®, Canon®, etc., working for some specialist companies.

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70’s During the Seventeen decade was redesigned the finish of the Multiplying Backings in semi-matte black colour that was the color for all the products Ballester®, from this date on.

1977 Were designed and made the C-57: Classic 5x7” Camera after 4 years of hard work in the laboratory, and was offered to the Holland Market, some years later introduce to the market the C-45: Classic 4x5” Camera; In 1978 receive the feedback from the American College of Photography about his cameras.

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1986 Corpotaive Image

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1988_Catalog

80’s During the eighteen decade the sells were outstanding and we cover the national market and began to introduce our complete line of products to USA, although this last action was order by order some photographers from USA started to know the quality and guarantee that Ballester® gives.

1986 Was redesign the logo and the corporate image with the actually logo; and broke in to the Mexican Market with EL-57 Elementary Line 5x7” Camera and EL-45 Elementary Line 4x5” Camera, special for the Portrait Photographer.

1987 Introduces to the Market the T-EL, D-EL: Tripod and Dolly Elementary Line and the EL-810: 8x10” Elementary Line camera and his accessories, designed by order for Polaroid.

1988 introduces the first complete catalog..

80's a New relief.

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1993_Panoramic Box for RM-45

2005

2007 Alive, such reason to do...

From 90’s to Today:

1993 Introduces to the Market the CP: Panoramic Box for the 4x5” Multiplying Backing.

2005 After effective 8 years of hard work in the laboratory, finally ends his first own Newtonian telescope, a very big piece that was constructed with a mirror of 8 inches, with a focal distance of 1500mm (1.5m), in an equatorial type assembly.

2007 The line is complete our corporate commitments are Advertising, Commerce, International Trade and Dialog with our costumers (A.C.I.D. the probe of liquidity-circulating capital)

The Professional photography had been done for artists; although the digital is an option still existing people in world interested in control all the details of taking photos. We will be looking around trough the time: the past, the present in which the people take photos and the future, Might be new surprises.

"The pride for the good done.
El Orgullo por lo bien hecho."