Mandel-Ette Postcard Camera

[aaronmichael]

Hello All,

Don't know if this post belongs in here but I couldn't think of any other forum to put it in. I inherited an awesome camera today called the Mandel-Ette Postcard Camera. Apparently street photographs used to use this camera back in the 1910's for making direct positive prints. I reached inside of the camera and low and behold there was the original postcards (photographic paper) in there!!! Just wondering if anyone has any advice about what I should do with this thing or if anyone has any more information on it. I doubt taking photos with it would work since the emulsion is almost 100 years old. Even if I could, I would have no idea where to start in terms of the cameras aperture, the speed of the paper (if it has one), and what to develop in. Anyway, any input or comments would be great!

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[removed account4]

i have wanted one of these cameras for ages ... congratulations, you are one lucky person !

the thing that is hanging under the camera is a chemical tank,
you should also have a " sleeve " so you can stick your arm in the camera after the exposure
and drop your paper into the tank.
i am not sure what kind of developer was used, or if there is more than one tank ( dev+fix ) or if the developer
was a proprietary monobath the chicago ferrotype company had for their direct positive paper
you could probably use that to shoot paper negatives instead of what it was intended for . and drop all your exposed sheets
into the tank for "post exposure storage "

have fun !
john

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

Aaron ,

I fallen in love the camera and thanks to Johns explanations about the chemical tank . Its a marvellous idea. Can you post the postcards scans. I really want to see the lens emulsion performance. You can may be sell it to SF MOMA or Eastman House. Just post a thread to emulsion making forum here in APUG and PE can offer some formulas for your new papers and chemicals also.
I dont know Where you can learn its price but there are antique camera price guides . Please keep the prints safe sealed container far from the direct light and moisture. As someone said ideal is % 50 and you can protect them with humidifier tablets.

Umut

 

[aaronmichael]

i have wanted one of these cameras for ages ... congratulations, you are one lucky person !

the thing that is hanging under the camera is a chemical tank,
you should also have a " sleeve " so you can stick your arm in the camera after the exposure
and drop your paper into the tank.
i am not sure what kind of developer was used, or if there is more than one tank ( dev+fix ) or if the developer
was a proprietary monobath the chicago ferrotype company had for their direct positive paper
you could probably use that to shoot paper negatives instead of what it was intended for . and drop all your exposed sheets
into the tank for "post exposure storage "

have fun !
john

I'll probably end up doing some paper negatives, that sounds fun. That's awesome that the thing underneath is for developing. What a genius idea!

Aaron ,

I fallen in love the camera and thanks to Johns explanations about the chemical tank . Its a marvellous idea. Can you post the postcards scans. I really want to see the lens emulsion performance. You can may be sell it to SF MOMA or Eastman House. Just post a thread to emulsion making forum here in APUG and PE can offer some formulas for your new papers and chemicals also.
I dont know Where you can learn its price but there are antique camera price guides . Please keep the prints safe sealed container far from the direct light and moisture. As someone said ideal is % 50 and you can protect them with humidifier tablets.

Umut

Thanks for the reply! The funny thing is that the prints that are in there are not developed or have not been exposed. The one that I pulled out had no picture on it and I don't want to pull any of those other ones out. The emulsion side of the paper had a greenish tone to it. I don't know if that's how they originally looked or if that's because of almost 100 years of aging. I'll definitely try to look up prices for it. Don't know if I'd want to sell it though, the thing is amazing!