Mystery lens boards in 4 X4

[Floyd Waller]

The Graphic View cameras used a standard 4 X 4 inch metal board labelled 25631 along one back side and one edge bevelled and a raised ridge baffle around the inside back. The Graphic View boards were faced in varying plain shades of grey, some smooth and uniform, some somewhat mottled and some almost silver. Graphic View also had a recessed board no. 29935 with app. a 1/2 inch recess and similar front surfaces.

The Kodak Master view, Calumet CC-400 series and the Burke and James copies also had metal 4 X 4 lens boards, the standard one has a raised app 1/16 inch ridge around the back with no bevelled edge and the recessed one is similar but with a full 1 and 1/4 inch recess.
The front surfaces were either uniform grey or black depending on the age of the models.

Now to the mystery boards for you old geezers(I'm 70!) I have some boards which are nearly identical to Graphic View boards in shape and function but are uniformly matte black, front and back. They fit the Graphic View perfectly without modification, one has no labelling and others have the number 28766 diagonally across the lower left corner. The raised ridge/baffle on the back is more sharply defined than the Graphic
View boards but functionally the same. What camera(s) were these made for? I know the early Burke and James press cameras used 4 X 4 boards but I don't think they were heavy aluminum castings like the Graphic View. Anyone have any clues? Simply a matter of curiosity, since I am happy with their functionality. Lynn Jones, are you still out there?

[Bob Salomon]

Lynn died.

[Floyd Waller]

Re: Lynn. Sorry to hear that , he was a good friend and a wealth of knowledge. I've always valued your knowledge as well, Bob. Probably 15 or 16 years since I saw you in person in San Antonio.

[Bob Salomon]

Re: Lynn. Sorry to hear that , he was a good friend and a wealth of knowledge. I've always valued your knowledge as well, Bob. Probably 10 or 12 years since I saw you in person in San Antonio.

Maybe even more. I haven't been down there since Dave made his first trip for Steve.

[Floyd Waller]

Time does pass quickly, doesn't it? I've been out of the store for 9 and a half years now. Wow!

[Ivan J. Eberle]

The 4x4" Graphic View was once a common and popular size... I know for sure that Meridian used this standard, as did Burke & James, possibly even the Deardorff Triampro... probably missing other press and view cameras of the 40's and 50's.

Might mention there are also adapters made for/by Graflex that adapted Speed/Crown boards to the 4x4 Graphic View front standard.

[Floyd Waller]

The 4x4" Graphic View was once a common and popular size... I know for sure that Meridian used this standard, as did Burke & James, possibly even the Deardorff Triampro... probably missing other press and view cameras of the 40's and 50's.

Might mention there are also adapters made for/by Graflex that adapted Speed/Crown boards to the 4x4 Graphic View front standard.

Yes, I have that adapter board as well, but just trying to figure out the mystery "blackies"!

[jp]

Pre and Anniversary Speed graphics and RB slrs could have similar black ones. They could certainly be aftermarket or homemade too. I've made them. The beveled edge is because they are too thick wood to fit behind the shiny metal retainer and slide.

[Floyd Waller]

Pre and Anniversary Speed graphics and RB slrs could have similar black ones. They could certainly be aftermarket or homemade too. I've made them. The beveled edge is because they are too thick wood to fit behind the shiny metal retainer and slide.

Yes, the Graphic "C" boards were wood, but you missed the point that these are milled or cast aluminum black painted boards with molded ridges and numbers, etc. There is an outside chance that they were Meridian boards but one states that the Meridian board had an "M" embossed in each corner and I have a vague memory of seeing those before. These are either plain ( no numbers or letters) or number 28766 in one corner(I have two of those.) Definitely factory made products.

[Keith Fleming]

I am not sure if this helps advance this thread, but I have a black 4X4 "mystery" board that fits into my Deardorff "4X4 to 6X6" adapter board, but it will not fit into my Zone VI 4X5 camera. I should add that on the inside of the board, the hole for the lens cuts right through what appears to have been a white-stamped "Burke & James Inc."

Keith