Mystery Plate Camera

[Tony of Plymouth]

Hi all,

This is my first time posting after enjoying reading the forums for several years.

I am a museum curator in Scotland and recently wrote a blog post about a whole plate camera in our collection, aimed more perhaps at the general reader than yourselves. Can anyone suggest the manufacturer of the camera? https://www.culturenlmuseums.co.uk/blog/photography-victorian-style/

Justin

 

[Ian Grant]

Well it's a British Tailboard camera but as to manufacturer that's difficult. The brass fittings seem to indicate it's from a London manufacturer like Lejeune & Perken, Watson or Gandolfi but they usually brace the front standard with a wooden piece on the corners.

All three of those manufacturers used the same brass fittings which were typically sourced locally, so you see cameras made in Birmingham by Underwood and Lancaster using similar locally made fittings, ans dt the same happens in Manchester and Sheffield.

I'll check out some adverts.

Ian

 

[Alex Varas]

Very nice article, I enjoyed reading it and I think it's a very good intro for old photography and large format.

 

[Ian Grant]

Having trawled through a few adverts I'm wondering if it was possibly made by Patrick Meagher of 21 Southampton Row, London. What's quite unusual is the one wooden strip that holds the lens board is shorter than the other to allow for the thumb wheel locking the rise/fall, this can be seen on some Meagher tailboard although at the top rather than the bottom on the examples I've found online. Also Meagher doesn't brace the corners on some of his tailboard cameras.

The issue here is around the Holborn and Hatton Garden area of London you had quite a number of manufacturers. Meagher, Lejeune & Perken (later Perken Son & Rayment) , Watson, Gandolfi. Houghton, Butcher, just to name a few, of those though only Meager made a tailboard camera without the corner bracing. Patrick Meagher had initially worked for Ottewill (camera makers) setting up on his own around 1858/9, he died 8th May 1897.

Unfortunately identifying cameras like this is uncertain until you come across another with a name plate or good adverts in old BJP Almanacs or similar.

Ian

 

[Tony of Plymouth]

Thank you very much Ian, I really appreciate the information.

If you have no objection I will quote your reply in the camera’s museum catalogue record.

Best wishes,

Justin

 

[Tony of Plymouth]

Very nice article, I enjoyed reading it and I think it's a very good intro for old photography and large format.

Alex, thank you very much for your kind words

Justin

 

[Ian Grant]

Thank you very much Ian, I really appreciate the information.

If you have no objection I will quote your reply in the camera’s museum catalogue record.

Best wishes,

Justin

No problem. I'm always trying to identify cameras I've acquired it can be near impossible. It doesn't help that cameras could be bought in kit form for assembly by photographic stores, and even large companies used sub contractors for some of their cameras.

Ian

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Seeing the post of Ian, I had a closer look at the Meagher camera's. The Meaghers all seem to have their setting screw for vertical shift at the upper side of the front panel and therefore not below the lensboard. Looking further the Henry Park camera's and the A.H. & E.J. Dale tailboard camera's all used to some extend one long and one shorter strip to hold the lens board, and have their setting screw at lower position. Also some the camera's made by G. Hare have lens board carriers of different length and their setting screw at lower position....although I wouldn't rule out the Meagher...

A J.Dale camera:

..and a H. Park camera:

 

[gordrob]

I enjoyed reading your article on Victory Style Photography. It serves as a good explanation of how the large format cameras work. The short videos add to it as well.