Help with dating a early red bellows Kodak No 3 Model E-4 please!

[Iain P]

Hi all. I've just joined the site here and this is my first message on the forum, so I hope I'm doing it right, and posting in the right place.
I bought a rather lovely Kodak No 3 e-4 red bellows camera last week in an antique shop in Cambridge, UK. The serial number is 48032-E.
I already have an e-3 model, and know enough (just enough!) to know I got a bargain with this one at £30. It seems to be in full working order and I'll be putting film through it this week. I'm trying to date it but have not been able to find a No 3 e-4 model online which matches the lens/standard/shutter combination (Bausch & Lomb f6.8 lens with Volute shutter 3 seconds - 1/150, B, T) apart from a "deluxe" model which dates from 1902.
I've put several close up photos of mine here on my blog, as well as a link to the deluxe example, and it would be great if anyone could offer suggestions as to roughly what year it might have been made.
Many thanks, Iain
The blog post link: https://fouragesofsand.blogspot.com/2019/02/new-addition-to-collection-early-1900s.html

 

[John Koehrer]

Have you looked at the Eastman Kodak House?

 

[Iain P]

Hi John, sorry, I don't quite follow you! Is there an online resource showing the cameras? I'm based in the UK. Iain

 

[Dan Daniel]

Here's a discussion of Volute shutters that might help narrow things down-

https://www.largeformatphotography....php?86525-Show-your-Beautiful-Volute-Shutters

Maybe you can find ways to date from the shutter serial number? Or the lens serial number?

 

[removed account4]

Hi lain

I'm not sure if you found this site ?
http://www.kodaksefke.nl/identify-your-kodak.html
Scott might be able to help too
http://www.vintagephoto.tv/3afpk.shtml
and the folks who had the DeLuxe version might also be able to help you out
http://www.redbellows.co.uk/CameraCollection/Kodak/No3FoldingPocketKodak_gen.htm

( each of the links has a contact us link ... )
sorry i can't be of more help !
j

 

[Dan Fromm]

It is a pain to use, but this site http://mgroleau.com/catalogues_kodak/ has a mountain of EKCo catalogs that list, among others, Folding Pocket Kodaks. I take it that's your treasure. You'll have to look at many catalogs to find your camera. Hop to it!

As far as I know the serial number won't help at all 'cos there's no s/n to date table for those things.

 

[Iain P]

Thank you guys that really is a mine of information! I'm going in....
Will report back as and when I've found the answer, or as near to an answer as possible.

 

[Iain P]

Thanks again all. I hadn't thought of looking at the lens and shutter to help date it, for some reason. The lens has the patent year of 1903, and comparing the shutter mechanism to others, and the serial number of the camera body, I'm inclined to date it around 1905-1907. I've now shot a film with it too. Hope it produces results as good as the camera looks ;-)
Regards, Iain