Huge Wooden Camera - R. R. Robertson of Chicago

[Leonard Robertson]

I think the trick is holding the lenses ransom, they may be desirable, and the person that wants the lenses only gets them if they take the whole mess.

This brings back fond memories. Years ago I paid $175 for a huge Robertson pretty much like the one kpomerleau pictures in order to get the 19" Artar and 30" RD Artar which were included. Even after I paid the money, the seller would NOT let me have the lenses until the camera was loaded on my trailer. Smart guy!

I have yet to haul the camera for scrap, although that is where it will go. The price of scrap high enough now that I may get quite a bit of my $175 back. A couple of the big frames on the camera are cast aluminum so worth more than the steel the main frame is made of. I also was able to use the 1 1/2 HP electric motor from the vacuum pump on a milling machine.

If I had one of these to get rid of, I would try an ad on Craigslist first. If there are lenses with the camera someone may pay for them in order to get the camera. Or if there are no lenses, try "free for the hauling" and mention the scrap value. Whoever tries to move or dis-assemble one of these monsters should have some idea what they are doing. A lot of the components are really heavy.

Len

[Fragomeni]

I stumbled across this thread while trying to do some research on a very large Robertson process camera that is located in the basement of a property that I just purchased. I am trying to find out if this thing is worth anything or if there is a collector out there somewhere. There is a serious lack of information regarding this camera so I am hopeful someone out there can help me. I believe this is a 30x40 format but have not measured it myself. The model is the Robertson 480 and it is still intact with the rail system, light setup, timers, etc. The camera was still in use in the 90's.

I'll just echo what a few others have already said. Yes, there are some people out there who would be interested in your camera but they are few and far between due to the simple face that very few will have the space and resources to work with such a large camera. As far as value goes, there is significant creative value in the camera but because of the very small number of practitioners who could actually use a camera of that size, the monetary value is not substantial. As other's have mentioned, the value will likely be in the lenses if there are any. If your intention is to rid yourself of the camera, you may wan to just make it available at a very reasonable cost to anyone willing to disassemble and move it for you. If the camera is working and most parts are functional, you may be able to let $1000-$2000 for it but I don't think many would be willing to pay much more than that considering the cost and effort in moving it. I'd hate to hear that you scrapped it. That should be a worst case scenario. Rather than just trashing it, breaking it down for parts might be worth considering. There are certainly those who may be interested in the bellows or perhaps part of the focusing track for projects but who wouldn't want the whole camera. I wish I had space and resources for it. Best of luck!