Antique plate projector/enlarger with petzval lens.

awty · Feb 23, 2023

Hi this turned up today, made in Japan, looks like Oak, pretty light weight, but in excellent condition. Has a pair of condensers.
Made by Charten. I'm not sure if it is an enlarger or projector or both?
Not sure of the plate types either?
Lens is made by Hockin & Co 38 Duke St., Manchester Sq., London it has no other info on the lens. Lens is around 2" in diameter. Has no water stop slot. I was able to screw it onto a Copal shutter and fit to a view camera but the furtherest away I can focus is about a metre any one know what is going on with that?
Thanks any info would be appreciated.

Tel · Feb 23, 2023

Sweet! That's one hell of a find. The lamp in the rear housing (and the short focal length) says it's probably an enlarger. A quick surf through my 1918 BJP shows a couple of almost identical units made by Butcher's of London, tagged as enlargers. Clearly not meant to be mounted vertically like modern enlargers. Looks like the neg carrier slides out the side...

Beautiful piece of woodwork.

Tel · Feb 23, 2023

Her's a picture.

awty · Feb 23, 2023

Tel said:
Sweet! That's one hell of a find. The lamp in the rear housing (and the short focal length) says it's probably an enlarger. A quick surf through my 1918 BJP shows a couple of almost identical units made by Butcher's of London, tagged as enlargers. Clearly not meant to be mounted vertically like modern enlargers. Looks like the neg carrier slides out the side...

Beautiful piece of woodwork.

Thanks, looks very similar to the Butcher although this uses an electric lamp. Was hoping it was 1/4 plate but is smaller.
Yes the neg carrier slides out the side. There looks to be provision for a filter or heat shield glass in-between the lamp housing and the condenser lenses.
Its complete, just need to wire it up and would be ready to use.
The lens is a puzzle as that is much older, but looks like it was professionally installed. Currently its only good for close ups. Or maybe I could turn it around, haven't check the orientation of the lens yet.

Perhaps @Ian Grant can shed some light so to speak.

Tel · Feb 23, 2023

The knob on the side of the lens says "projection". I don't think it was intended for use on a camera, and the short focal length says it probably wasn't for showing slides in someone's parlor. I'd say it's an enlarger lens. But you have to wire it up and use it. The bellows look to be in great shape, like somebody was using it recently. Where did you find it?

Kino · Feb 23, 2023

Looks like the size of a lantern slide in the holder. Wonder if it was intended to make Lantern Slides? They were very popular around the turn of last Century.

awty · Feb 24, 2023

Tel said:
The knob on the side of the lens says "projection". I don't think it was intended for use on a camera, and the short focal length says it probably wasn't for showing slides in someone's parlor. I'd say it's an enlarger lens. But you have to wire it up and use it. The bellows look to be in great shape, like somebody was using it recently. Where did you find it?

I found it on ebay, someone from Tasmania was downsizing his stuff. I bid on the low end of the price of the lens and managed to win. I doubt if anyone has used it much, the camera company was operating in the 1930's. The lens is from the 1860's and looks like a typical Petzval portrait lens of that period. I have no use for it other than the lens at the moment. Have plenty of enlargers.

awty · Feb 24, 2023

Here is the furtherest I can focus.....weird
I took the lens apart and looks typical of a Petzval lens in the photo.

Ian Grant · Feb 24, 2023

The lens a projection Petzval is much older than the enlarger, Hockin & Co became Hockin, Wilson, & Co in 1872. Charten copied products made by Houghton (India) Ltd and other companies, as you say in the 1930s.

Are you missing one of the condensers ?

The links between Houghton and Butcher go back to around 1904, Butcher made some cameras for Houghton, later they set up a joint manufacturing company before finally merging the wholesale arms in 1926.

Ian

awty · Feb 24, 2023

Ian Grant said:
The lens a projection Petzval is much older than the enlarger, Hockin & Co became Hockin, Wilson, & Co in 1872. Charten copied products made by Houghton (India) Ltd and other companies, as you say in the 1930s.

Are you missing one of the condensers ?

The links between Houghton and Butcher go back to around 1904, Butcher made some cameras for Houghton, later they set up a joint manufacturing company before finally merging the wholesale arms in 1926.

Ian

Have both condensers.
Looks like the larger plate is the same size as a Rolliecord plate holder takes.
The smaller one I have no idea.
Any idea why it will only focus close up?
Thanks.

Ian Grant · Feb 25, 2023

Thanks, I couldn't tell from the photo if there was a condenser in that left=hand holder.

It's an odd one, I did look at all the BJP Almanacs with F Charten adverts, that was only 3 or 4 years just before WWII. The position in the Almanacs would indicate they were exporting to your neck of the woods. There's quite a sophisticated modern looking Glove MF enlarger (even by post WWII standards), rotary glazer, etc, in the adverts. The cameras were a field camera based on a Houghton design and a tailboard studio camera of Reisekamera style.

There are not a lot of details about F Charten & Co, except that they were linked to Asahi Bussan in Tokyo, who made Olympic cameras, eventually merging into the company that became Ricoh.

Ian

Antique plate projector/enlarger with petzval lens.

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