Need an 8X10 enlarger?

[Filo]

hcl@buffnet.net has worked for me both to send and to receive a reply.

[Gene McCluney]

George's listing description didn't mention autofocus, and he said it was purchased from the family of its owner, who used it daily until his death in 1954. However it was purchased from George Eastman in 1894 and was one of the first electrified enlargers ever. Made me wonder how you would use daylight, which is the only other way I can imagine providing a sustainable light source at that time. At that level I have my doubts that autofocus was part of it, I would think it was an added feature in later units. The enlarger my friend used would likely have been built decades later.

I seriously doubt this enlarger was purchased from George Eastman in 1894, as there would not have been any photo paper suitable for use with it at that time, to my knowledge.

In fact it looks just like the 8x10 Eastman autofocus I saw a couple decades ago at a local studios darkroom. I was told it was purchased new in the 1920's.

[Filo]

I seriously doubt this enlarger was purchased from George Eastman in 1894, as there would not have been any photo paper suitable for use with it at that time, to my knowledge.

In fact it looks just like the 8x10 Eastman autofocus I saw a couple decades ago at a local studios darkroom. I was told it was purchased new in the 1920's.

********************
You may be right. I really don't know... but so that you read what I did, I went back to the listing and copied the text as it appeared. This is precisely it:

"This enlarger came out of a studio in Niagara Falls NY. I am told it was purchased around 1894 from George Eastman and was one of the first electrified enlargers built. The enlarger was in use daily till the photographers death in 1954. THE ENLARGER STANDS ABOUT 12 FEET FULLY ELEVATED it is made of what looks like cherry or walnut with a 16X20 easel The counterweights are lead and steel.The lamp is in huge and still in place I have not applied power to it a s the wirer's are over 100 years old I was told by the photographers family that it worked fine the last time it was used . Large kodak lens is intact This is truly a magnificent Piece of photographic equipment."[/I]

I'll also post the other photos here. Hopefully theres not a copyright issue.




As I say, you be the judge. I'm not the seller. Turns out the email isn't getting through and I've reported it to the provider. I can try to contact him through the ebay message system but he still has to be checking it to get it. Good luck.

[ic-racer]

I seriously doubt this enlarger was purchased from George Eastman in 1894, as there would not have been any photo paper suitable for use with it at that time, to my knowledge.

In fact it looks just like the 8x10 Eastman autofocus I saw a couple decades ago at a local studios darkroom. I was told it was purchased new in the 1920's.

Per the Kodak site:

1884: Eastman Negative Paper introduced

Though, I agree with you that this looks like it is from the 20s rather than the 1890s.