Identifying Victorian Camera for Museum Exhibit

akhenaten521 · Mar 6, 2023

Hi All,

I'm the curator of a small history museum in the Boston suburbs, and we're putting together an exhibit of a local Victorian photographer named Fred Litchman. We'd love to purchase an antique camera to put on display similar to one that Fred used. We have three photographs of Fred holding cameras, which I've attached. We were wondering if anyone could identify the type of camera he's using in any of these photos. We know Fred favored Kodak models, and the photographs all date from circa 1896-1906. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Kino · Mar 6, 2023

I would venture that the top camera is a Kodak Autographic 3A folding camera.

Two23 · Mar 6, 2023

Kino said:
I would venture that the top camera is a Kodak Autographic 3A folding camera.

Agree.

Kent in SD

Dustin McAmera · Mar 6, 2023

Not certain it's Autographic. Certainly, No. 3 (quarter-plate size; 3¼x4¼ inch on 118 roll film) or perhaps No. 3A (3¼x5½ inch 'postcard' size on 122 roll film) looks right, from the size of the thing in his hand. Both of these went through several models. The bright reflective spot we see on the user's right of the shutter unit looks like the top of the rod that does front rise, so it's a goodish specification.

Two23 · Mar 6, 2023

One of the other cameras might be a Kodak Kodet.

Kino · Mar 6, 2023

Two23 said:
One of the other cameras might be a Kodak Kodet.

Yeah, the bottom one might be. Looks to have a really early roll film adapter that used paper based film that Kodak stripped off the emulsion and placed on glass plates when processed.

Sirius Glass · Mar 6, 2023

Welcome to ~~APUG~~ Photrio!!

Kino · Mar 7, 2023

Could the middle one be a Blair's Utility Camera?

http://www.piercevaubel.com/cam/blair/blutility.htm

That or a Blair Combination Camera:

http://www.piercevaubel.com/cam/blair/blcomb2.htm

The metal badge above the lens could just be a name plate added by the camera dealer/jobber that sold the camera.

Kino · Mar 7, 2023

Oh, and it should be quite easy to purchase an inexpensive Kodak 3A for display. It is a very common camera on the used market; they made millions of them.

The other two, not so much...

akhenaten521 · Mar 7, 2023

Thanks for your insights, all! We really appreciate it.

bdial · Mar 7, 2023

Have you been in contact with the folks at PHSNE (Photographic Historical Society of New England)? (PHSNE.org)
They probably have several example cameras that they could loan or possibly even give you, and local resources to help ID cameras that Fred may have used.
Another semi-local source for example cameras would be Vermont Center for Photography in Brattleboro VT. (vcphoto.org)

Dwight Anderson · Mar 7, 2023

If the latest the pictures were taken was 1906, it wouldn't be an Autographic Kodak, as that feature was introduced in 1914. Also, it's probably not a 3A model, as there are not enough folds in the bellows showing. The focal length of a 3A would require a longer bellows. More likely a model 3.

The middle camera looks like a Rochester Optical "New Model". They have the nameplate above the lensboard holder.

Rochester Optical Co. New Model Variation 1.5

Identifying Victorian Camera for Museum Exhibit

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