The King's Own Camera

London Stereoscopic Company

Name:	The "King's Own" Camera
Manufacturer:	London Stereoscopic Company
Country of Origin:	United Kingdom
Construction:	Horizontal format rollfilm camera; teak bodied with brass binding and fittings.
Production Period:	Unknown

 

Model / Variant:	Deluxe Model B (Tropical)
Plate / Film Size:	3¼ x 4¼ rollfilm (No 3 FPK / 118)
Lens:	Goerz Dopp. Anastigmat f6.8 120mm Series 1D Syntor
Shutter:	German Compound shutter
Movements:	TBD
Dimensions (w x h x l):
Date of this Example:	c1905
Serial Number:	Serial No 406 on the lens standard support rail above the vertical adjustment screw. Serial on lens is 204802. Serial 371939 on the speed adjustment ring on the shutter. Owner initials stamped onto case "O.W.D."
Availability:	Common  Uncommon  Hard to Find  Scarce
Inventory Number:	446

<Photographs to be added>

Description

The King's Own is a beautiful teak bodied rollfilm camera with brass binding and fittings. It bears a brass plate on the rear of the camera that identifies it as "The King's Own Deluxe Model B The London Stereoscopic Co, 3 Hanover Sq W". Channing & Dunn [2] identify this address as being relevant at about 1913, while McKeown lists the camera as c1905.

The camera is in very good order, with no apparent damage or heavy wear. Brass is yellowed and somewhat tarnished on edges that take most wear such the short edge of the camera back.

The lens panel is removable. The inside of the back of the camera reveals how well made it is, with brass and aluminium fittings. There is an aluminium plate with brass springs that against the back, whose purpose is unclear. Is intended to protect the lens and bellows when not in use (no film installed) or is it just a pressure plate to keep the film correctly positioned in the film plane?

The original instruction sheet (about the length of the camera case) is made of thin card stock, but folded up into 8 sections to fit into the storage compartment. "Instructions for Using King's Own Cameras".

The camera came in a neat contemporary hide case with a false bottom that hides away film and the heavily folded instruction sheet.

Lens / shutter appear to be original and very similar to that fitted to the camera pictured in Channing & Dunn, although theirs has a Zeiss lens according to the caption.

Notes

The same basic form of camera was available from the London Stereoscopic Company, finished in leather, and advertised as The "Service".