Antique Eastman Kodak Co. contact print frame "For 3 1/4 x 5 1/2 Negatives" patented May 15, 1917. I'm not sure why they called it "Maskit": it doesn't have blades you can use to mask the negative. Instead, it's a little odd. For one thing, it has a band of metal running all around the outside of the frame, as though to hold it together against pressure. There's a sliding metal piece inside the frame, but it only slides up and down as though to compensate for film or plates of different thicknesses. The opening won't quite fit a 4x5 negative, darn it, but if you have a smaller negative it would fit just fine. The back is hinged with a metal hinge that's rather stiff; it loosened up quite a bit with a minute's exercise, so I think it's just arthritic from age. Personally, I don't know anything about that...
The glass is good, the backing fabric looks good and the wood is unsplit and not cracked. The baking board fits rather tightly into the frame and goes in more smoothly if you slide in the side against the movable metal piece first, then the opposite side: there are a couple of springy things stamped into the metal slide to hold it more tightly, in addition to the rotating metal springs which usually hold the back in place. If you want a frame which holds the negative and paper immovably together, this is the one!
How does $20 sound, plus shipping? My wife wants to see it go and so do I: the collection of photo related stuff is growing a bit and I don't want her asking awkward questions. Take this thing off my hands, please!
Mike
The glass is good, the backing fabric looks good and the wood is unsplit and not cracked. The baking board fits rather tightly into the frame and goes in more smoothly if you slide in the side against the movable metal piece first, then the opposite side: there are a couple of springy things stamped into the metal slide to hold it more tightly, in addition to the rotating metal springs which usually hold the back in place. If you want a frame which holds the negative and paper immovably together, this is the one!
How does $20 sound, plus shipping? My wife wants to see it go and so do I: the collection of photo related stuff is growing a bit and I don't want her asking awkward questions. Take this thing off my hands, please!
Mike