I also have a Fogg bag. Have you ever seen those? Originally made in the UK but they moved to France.
I also have a Fogg bag. Have you ever seen those? Originally made in the UK but they moved to France.Billingham bags are definitely more practical with their modern divider systems, and they are beautiful and well made, but their style harkens back to an earlier time.
I also have a Fogg bag. Have you ever seen those? Originally made in the UK but they moved to France.
I try not to be a collector, but for a while, I had a thing for Perrin leather bags like the one on the stool in the photo, and I accumulated quite a few of them in nice condition. They were premium photo bags in their day and look like what Billingham aspires to be, but don’t seem to be well remembered, so they don’t sell for much on eBay. Also, since the leather has aged, they are prone to straps breaking, but they’re nice enough to be worth maintaining.
David, that's a canvas case in the photo, the only leather is straps and fittings and also the carrying handle in the photo, these were common here in the UK
View attachment 258947
Most companies bought their cases in from outside suppliers, in the 1920s The Altrincham Rubber Company offered cases in 200 different sizes and styles. This one is very similar to two Thornton Pickard canvas cases I have, the only difference is TP cases used a green canvas. The two companies had close links Altrincham Rubber Co being a sub-contractor to TP.
Typically a leather case was more than double the cost of a canvas case and the best triple the price.
Ian
Thanks for sharing!. Meanwhile, here’s a quick snapshot of an one that I use for tripod heads and accessories that shows how the straps look.
View attachment 258979
....
I should photograph my Perrin bags properly some time and start a new thread about them...
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...earlier pre WWII Gandolfi's are far better made. The difference is the brass work originally bought in, later had to be made in house, it's not the sae quality.
Ian
Can you elaborate on this? Were the differences due to materials or craftsmanship or something else?
A combination, First the brass work had originally been bought in, there were once many London camera manufacturers before WWII and much of the brass work was common to a number of companies only a few bits were specially made for particular companies. Later brass work was made in house and isn't as elegant and, in the last few years it was made by Arthur and Fred's nephew a retired engineer.
Arthur and Fred's father Louis and elder brother Thomas were far better craftsmen. You really need to see the DVD with the 16mm film footage of the companies last days, Fred and Arthur were a unique pair of bachelors. They weren't businessmen production was very low they had a long waiting list,
I guess you need to see older Gandolfi's and similar British wood and brass cameras to appreciate the subtle differences I'm alluding to.
Ian
Thanks Ian, I don't know any pre-WWII camera's made by Gandofi, but had always the impression that their camera's - apparently the later ones - were made less refined than let say the top Houghton camera's (Victo, Sanderson); the difference must have been in the brass work (the difference can be seen looking at the brass struts - and there is less brass inlay).
<edit> just found a picture of what seems an older Gandolfi - might be pre-WWII since the brass work seems more refined:
Thanks Ian, I don't know any pre-WWII camera's made by Gandofi, but had always the impression that their camera's - apparently the later ones - were made less refined than let say the top Houghton camera's (Victo, Sanderson); the difference must have been in the brass work (the difference can be seen looking at the brass struts - and there is less brass inlay).
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