Unknown Folding Plate Camera

Manufacturer Unknown

Name:	As yet to be identified
Type:	Folding plate camera / hand camera
Manufacturer:	Unknown
Country of Origin:	United Kingdom
Construction:
Production Period:	Unknown

 

Plate / Film Size:	¼ plate
Lens:	Rapid Achromatic
Shutter:	T & I shutter integrated into lens board
Movements:	None
Dimensions (w x h x l):
Date of this Example:	c1900
Serial Number:	None
Availability:	Common  Uncommon  Hard to Find  Scarce
Inventory Number:	285

<Photographs to be added>

Description

Unknown and unmarked ¼ plate camera, described by the seller as a 'Bicycle Camera', but reason not given. Unusual design in that it has a leather covered lens board, suggesting a relatively early date. This has a lever setting to switch between T & I shutter settings, which is stamped in a way that is reminiscent of the markings on German made Butcher falling plate cameras.

Red bellows in good order, though marked in odd places.

There is damage to the base board adjacent to one of the support struts, suggesting that one of the spring assemblies has parted company and has been lost.

Focus shown in feet on a scale attached to the baseboard. The handle is intact (but no markings). Camera came with a single metal dark slide. There is no ground glass screen.

Notes

A rollfilm camera of very similar structure was seen at Photographica 2005 and was identified by the dealer as an "early Butcher Carbine". It is certainly similar in form and style to some of the early cameras imported from Germany by Butcher, many then sold under the Carbine name. It also has some similarities to the Pom-Pom cameras, but little information has been found thus far by which to make any positive identification.

This plate camera is also rather similar in form to another unmarked camera that I have in my collection, but this time for rollfilm!

If you are able to share any further information about the camera, please contact me.