Alkon Film Holder

**Chauncey Walden** · 6-Oct-2012, 15:06

I was cleaning up a batch of used 5x7 film holders today I had purchased and found one that was quite different. It was marked Alkon "49", and NYC USA Pat. Pend. What was different about it was that it is all aluminum with the exception of the dark slides (which may or may not be original). The loading gates rotate on pins rather than being hinge taped. It is heavier than a wooden Lisco one by only 1/4 ounce or so and about 2 ounces heavier than a Fidelity plastic one. Has anyone any experience with Alkons or knowledge of the company's history?

**Chauncey Walden** · 6-Oct-2012, 15:30

I just found part of the answer: books.google.com/patents/US2522347.pdf The patent was applied for on Feb 12, 1948 and granted on Sept 12, 1950. As suspected the "49" must represent the model year. It is quite interesting to read the patent, especially as regards being able to make different sizes just by cutting off different lengths of the extrusions.

**Brian C. Miller** · 6-Oct-2012, 16:09

Interesting find! While I was reading the other thread on "why can't I get anything just for the price of scrap except for scrap," I thought to myself, why not make a holder out of aluminum? Nice to see that somebody did it. I wish that they had been more popular, though. (I bet they wish the same thing, too!)

**Robert Perrin** · 6-Oct-2012, 22:47

A weekly paper in my home town was using Alkons in the early '50's. I had a summer job filling in while their regular photographer was in the service. I liked the Alkons. One advantage is that they are thinner. A while back one showed up with some other gear unfortunately while they were "warp proof" that one has a twist. Maybe some day I'll try to straighten it. Anyway I checked it against some of my other holders. The body is about .089" thnner than a wood Fidelity probably about the same era. It's about .030" thinner than a plastic Riteway and .022" less than a Lisco Regal II.

**jcoldslabs** · 7-Oct-2012, 03:05

I have two Alkon 5x7 holders with aluminum dark slides. I have yet to use them because they need a good de-oxidizing. The faces of the holders are so pitted that I'm afraid repeated insertion and removal from a wooden camera back will have a sandpaper-like effect and grind down the wood. Once cleaned up with steel wool and a new coat of spraypaint they should be good to go--as long as they turn out to be light-tight, that is.

Jonathan