Does anyone know the history of the Keith Portrait Camera (Model No. 1)?

[MVloet]

I've been asked to sell off some surplus equipment for a university photo department and I'm trying to find information on the Keith Portait Camera Model No. 1. I've scoured the web as best as I can but found remarkably little (...manufactured circa '47, silver hammertone finish, 17" bellows...and a lead paint warning for those interested in refininshing one).

Does anyone know more about the thing than this? I'd appreciate any help I can get. Thanks for any help.

 

[David H. Bebbington]

I've been asked to sell off some surplus equipment for a university photo department and I'm trying to find information on the Keith Portait Camera Model No. 1. I've scoured the web as best as I can but found remarkably little (...manufactured circa '47, silver hammertone finish, 17" bellows...and a lead paint warning for those interested in refininshing one).

Does anyone know more about the thing than this? I'd appreciate any help I can get. Thanks for any help.

Is this the camera which is like 2 regular view cameras one on top of the other? Don't have much info, do have a Keith twin-lens 4x5" (no indication of model). A fine instrument that does its intended job really well!

 

[Dave Wooten]

David,

I haven't seen that one...sounds interesting...is it similar to the Gowland twin lens cameras made in California by Peter Gowland? 4 x 5 5 x 7 and even a few 8 x 10's?

 

[MVloet]

It's not a twin lens, but rather a studio view camera. You can see what the camera looks like here (http://www.umich.edu/~photos/ebayImages/KeithCam-4.jpg). There are six images, so you can replace the number "4" with any number 1 through 6 to see more.