Pre WWII cameras ?

I think they're falling plate cameras. Used the same glass plates as the early press cameras (though by the time of this photo, the Speed Graphic had pretty well taken over that job in the USA), but you could load something like five or six of them, one behind the other, and drop them into a safe storage area inside the camera after exposure. Think of it as a stone age Grafmatic.

AgX said:

The two big ones are no classic box cameras.

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If you mean they're not the classic box-shaped folder from the ICA era like the Ideal, I agree. That could also place this photo in 1939, as the Ideal (one of the last folding plate cameras) was killed off in 1938.

The two boxes do appear to be similar to the Tengor and Eraboxes, which were still in production around then, however. I can't find an exact match, but the rightmost of the two boxes appears to have the sliding window for checking film numbers.

The Tengor is much smaller than those boxes. The one on left even might be a case for a camera kit including a set of darkslides.

Not sure if I'll comply with demand in OP.
I won't touch any WWII Leica with ten feet pole.
But I enjoyed to restore 1944 4x5 Anniversary Speed Graphic.

GarageBoy said:

What did pros use? Or did they just stick with 4x5 and roll film wasn't even on their radar?

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Pros in the USA stuck to 4x5", whereas for instance photojournalists in Germany by that time already completely abandoned it.
Even often leaving rollfilm behind for type 135.

So simple single/twin speed box cameras were the point and shoots of their day?
Then scale focusing folders were like low end slrs?
Then rangefinder coupled cameras high end "producer" cameras?
Then pros went with graflex etc? (What was the euro press camera?)

The german pre-war press cameras were the Leica, the Makina, the Rolleiflex, the Exakta 4x6.5 and similar cameras.

Anyone know where I'd be able to find camera advertisements from that era?

The Rolleiflex Standard and Automat was used by many professionals in the 1930s and 40s. The Rolleicord was also used by some professionals and advanced amateurs. Sometimes as a back-up camera. Pre-war Rolleis are still popular since they are easy to use and produce excellent photos. My avatar has a 1938 Rolleiflex 4x4 and Automat 6x6.

GarageBoy said:

Anyone know where I'd be able to find camera advertisements from that era?

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From OrphanCameras.com / Butkus.us
There are loads of photo advertising pages 1888-1940 https://www.butkus.org/chinon/bookl..._vol1/photographic_advertising_a-z_splash.htm

Thanks
I'd like to pick up a nice early 1900s-1930s camera just as a representation of the period

GarageBoy said:

Thanks
I'd like to pick up a nice early 1900s-1930s camera just as a representation of the period

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They're all over eBay, if you don't mind paying for the privilege. Still, you can get various folders for under $100 if you don't mind leaky bellows, slow shutter, and a hazy lens. Ten years ago, you could get good, reasonably clean, reliable cameras for less than that.

I picked up this Ihagee Ultrix 3860 (6x9 or 1/6 glass plates) on ebay for around $80 with a nice Zeiss 105mm f4.5 Tessar (I date it around 1938+/-1 year). First introduced in 1931. This camera worked as-is (I had to tweak the film holder spring a little- got some suggestions on Photrio to trace an issue with loading the film).

Ihagee Folder by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr

It is not much different than earlier Ultrixes and other Ihagee, Zeiss, etc. folders from the 20s/30s, and by the time they stopped production in 1939, I suspect the Exakta was taking all their attention, and this was already looking like a dinosaur (folders continued, but glass plate cameras started decreasing). It takes really nice pictures (I suspect modern film helps too). Many serious photographers in the 1930s had a great suspicion about that dang roll film, and even worse, kine film! Glass plates stayed flat and produced the best images...

Orange Tree by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr

Golden Gate View by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr

GarageBoy said:

Thanks
I'd like to pick up a nice early 1900s-1930s camera just as a representation of the period

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As someone who has quite a number of pre-WWII and WWi cameras I ahve to say only you can choose where to start.. I have many Houghton cameras dating from an Alliance Roll Film Camera Co Ltd. thats a 5x4 camera taking 110 roll film, made between 1898 and 1905, through to an Ensign Selfix 820 6x9 120 camera from the 1950's, and then 3 Houghton field cameras, Quarter , Half and Whole plate as wellas a quarter plate Dallmeyer Press Reflex (made by Houghton and usually sold as an Ensign), plus a Houghton King enlarger, Ensign safelights and Contact frames to 12"x10".

Most representative of the inter war years is a 120 folder, if you want to use it don;t make a mistake buying a 620, and there's a huge choice I see them (lower to mid range models) at the camera fair I go to ofte for £10-£20 ($13-$26) alhough better nad more desirable models can sell for much more depending on their condition.

I'd also suggest getting an Iconic box camera, age is difficult to tell as essentially the mae madels were made into the 1960's by Kodak both in the US and UK, they disappeared with the introduction of the Instamatic.

Ian