Antique & Vintage Photographic Equipment

Wizard Duplex No 2 Camera

Manhattan Optical Company

Name: Wizard Duplex No 2
Type:Combination Camera
Manufacturer: Manhattan Optical Company
Country of Origin: US
Construction: Combination camera where the rollfilm back is an adaptation of the No 3 Folding Pocket Kodak camera body.
Production Period: Unknown

 

Model / Variant: Model B
Plate / Film Size: No 3 FPK rollfilm and ¼ plates
Lens: "Plutar" Extra Rapid Aplanat, F8
Shutter: Ensign Sector I
Movements: Rising front
Dimensions (w x h x l):  
Date of this Example: c1902
Serial Number: Serial 1687 stamped inside bottom edge of back, revealed when the two halves are separated.
Availability:
  • Common [ ]
  • Uncommon [ ]
  • Hard to Find [x]
  • Scarce [ ]
Inventory Number: 410

<Photographs to be added>

Description

The Wizard Duplex No 2 is a combination camera, that is, one that is capable of taking pictures on plate or rollfilm without the latter having to be unloaded from the camera.

It is a rollfilm camera that provided a focussing mechanism not unlike the Screen Focus Kodak where a dark slide can be introduced (present) and the back removed, complete with film, to allow a ground glass focussing screen to be used (present and complete). Bellows are in good order and are maroon in colour. Cross front.

The camera carried a full name below the lens, and fits the description in McKeown [1] which shows the No 2 model. McKeown also states that this model was originally sold in England. Certainly this would explain how it came to be fitted with an Ensign shutter.

Inside the back reads "Roll Holder for No 3 Folding Pocket Kodak Film" followed by a set of patent dates (latest is 1902) and then it states "Made by Eastman Kodak Co.". The fittings for the rollfilm are Kodak standard, although the back clips are not the normal FPK pattern.

Notes

The only significant problem with the condition of this example was that it was obvious on delivery that the camera had been exposed to damp in its recent past and the aluminium back was badly corroded. To conserve its condition, the leather was removed, the oxidation scraped off, sanded and then treated with metal primer before gluing the leather back in place.