What is This ?

[vothsr]

I don't know anything about photography. Can someone tell me what this is? I found it in a thrift shop, looks kinda old. Any info is much appreciated.
Thanks974069740797408

[BrianShaw]

It is called a contact printing frame.

[vothsr]

Thanks Brian. Is it very old? It has U.S. stamped in the frame. Is it worth much?

[goamules]

1870s to 1910s. Worth from $1 to $10.

[BrianShaw]

It could be quite old, maybe turn of the 20th cenury or earlier. They generally aren't very valuable but are very useful to folks who still contact print. What size is it?

[BrianShaw]

Garret's valuation sounds about right.

[Jon Shiu]

I would guess 1940's or 50's. I sold a 8x10 printing frame just like it but made by Eastman for about $75. A realistic price for yours is $25-45. Yours is not really old enough, or new enough to be valuable.

The hinged back is so that you can open one side and inspect the print during exposure, such as with printing platinum prints, a technique common in the early 20th century.

People pay around $125 for a new 8x10 one now. Probably yours would work as good as a new one, but the opening might not be big enough to print the whole 8x10" negative size.

Jon

[vothsr]

The glass is 8 x 10. The wood frame is 10 x 12. I'm assuming that the U.S. stamped in the frame means military property.

[vothsr]

It also has Burke & James Inc. written on the springs.

[Wayne]

I've been looking for these in thrift shops for 20 years and haven't found one yet. :-(

[vothsr]

Thanks to all of you for the responses. You've been very helpful. Good night.

[Cletus]

So once you've decided what you want to take a picture of, all you need is an 8x10 camera, a 300mm lens mounted in a Copal shutter, a tripod with a tripod head to put the camera on, a loupe to help you focus on the ground glass, a blanket or dark cloth to put over your head to keep extraneous light away from the ground glass while focusing with the loupe, a light meter to calculate the correct exposure, a cable release to trip the shutter without shaking the camera, a piece of 8x10 film loaded into an 8x10 film holder, a big bag or backpack to carry all this in, a room in your house that can be made completely dark and has water available so you can handle the exposed film, some developer, stop and fix and an assortment of trays with which to process the film, a thermometer to insure the temperature is maintained right around 20 degrees Centigrade, (a correction table in case you're off by a degree or two), a film washer to wash the film, a film dryer to dry the film, or you can just hang it to dry in a dust free area the way many people do, a clear negative sleeve to protect the negative once it's dry, and then you'll need a piece of 8x10 paper (preferably Lodima Fine Art for contact printing, available by the box from Michael A. Smith and Paula Chamlee), some amidol developer, stop bath and fix and an assortment of trays to process the exposed paper, a print washer to wash the print, a print dryer to dry the print, or you can just hang it to dry in a dust free area the way many people do, and then a drymount press to flatten it once it's dry, but before that you'll need your new contact printing frame into which you'll sandwich your 8x10 negative along with a piece of the Lodima Fine Art paper. And a light bulb.

So you see, now that you have that nice contact printing frame, you only need a few additional little accessories and you can be up and contact printing in no time! :) :) :)

[E. von Hoegh]

So once you've decided what you want to take a picture of, all you need is an 8x10 camera, a 300mm lens mounted in a Copal shutter, a tripod with a tripod head to put the camera on, a loupe to help you focus on the ground glass, a blanket or dark cloth to put over your head to keep extraneous light away from the ground glass while focusing with the loupe, a light meter to calculate the correct exposure, a cable release to trip the shutter without shaking the camera, a piece of 8x10 film loaded into an 8x10 film holder, a big bag or backpack to carry all this in, a room in your house that can be made completely dark and has water available so you can handle the exposed film, some developer, stop and fix and an assortment of trays with which to process the film, a thermometer to insure the temperature is maintained right around 20 degrees Centigrade, (a correction table in case you're off by a degree or two), a film washer to wash the film, a film dryer to dry the film, or you can just hang it to dry in a dust free area the way many people do, a clear negative sleeve to protect the negative once it's dry, and then you'll need a piece of 8x10 paper (preferably Lodima Fine Art for contact printing, available by the box from Michael A. Smith and Paula Chamlee), some amidol developer, stop bath and fix and an assortment of trays to process the exposed paper, a print washer to wash the print, a print dryer to dry the print, or you can just hang it to dry in a dust free area the way many people do, and then a drymount press to flatten it once it's dry, but before that you'll need your new contact printing frame into which you'll sandwich your 8x10 negative along with a piece of the Lodima Fine Art paper. And a light bulb.

So you see, now that you have that nice contact printing frame, you only need a few additional little accessories and you can be up and contact printing in no time! :) :) :)

Nice try Cletus, but...http://myworld.ebay.com/vothsr http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Burke-James-8-x-10-Contact-Printing-Frame-/221244333982?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3383309f9e

This is why I no longer answer questions posed by jokers with one post.

[BrianShaw]

Interesting. You are so well connected, E. I stopped answering posts from college students and film researchers long ago because they suck you dry and leave, often without even saying thanks. At least in this case the OP was gracious.

[E. von Hoegh]

Interesting. You are so well connected, E. I stopped answering posts from college students and film researchers long ago because they suck you dry and leave, often without even saying thanks. At least in this case the OP was gracious.

Not really, just the magic in that little search box at the top of the feepay homepage.:D

[Cletus]

Ha ha! Really it wasn't any of that, but thanks for the heads up E..

I'm just bored, working night shift right now - I wrote that on the off chance that someone (probably not the OP) might get a little chuckle, that's all. So I'll say it again...:) :) :)

[BrianShaw]

I chuckled. And I'll chuckle again if the auction closes with no bidder, or I'll chuckle even louder if some fool pays that price!

[vothsr]

Ha ha! Really it wasn't any of that, but thanks for the heads up E..

I'm just bored, working night shift right now - I wrote that on the off chance that someone (probably not the OP) might get a little chuckle, that's all. So I'll say it again...:) :) :)

I did chuckle.http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/images/icons/icon11.png

I don't understand why any of you would be upset. My first post indicated that I knew nothing about photography, and that I found this old looking object in a thrift store. I just wanted to know "What is It", and what is it worth.
No deception here.
I guess there will always be someone that finds offense.
This item is listed on Ebay for $40 starting price, the price that Jon suggested I could get for it.
Again, thanks for the helpful responses.

[BrianShaw]

No hard feelings here. As I said... at least you said "thanks" several times. Look like you got a bidder. Good for you. Jon seems to understand the current market better than I. That worked in your favor. c'ya!

[JW Dewdney]

Shoulda told him it was from the 1500s and worth a minimum or USD 10K...

[BrianShaw]

:D. Next time!

[JW Dewdney]

:)

pretty sure that printing frame was 70s era though...

[E. von Hoegh]

I did chuckle.http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/images/icons/icon11.png

I don't understand why any of you would be upset. My first post indicated that I knew nothing about photography, and that I found this old looking object in a thrift store. I just wanted to know "What is It", and what is it worth.No deception here.
I guess there will always be someone that finds offense.
This item is listed on Ebay for $40 starting price, the price that Jon suggested I could get for it.
Again, thanks for the helpful responses.

We get constant requests for valuations, and for some odd reason nobody says: "Hey guys, I'm completely clueless about this widget I picked up at a yardsale, could you guys tell me what it is and what it's worth so I can put it on feebay and make some money based on your collective expertise because I can't be bothered to research it myself?" I personally don't like the valuation requests because they're disingenuous. But that's just me.

As Brian pointed out, you were gracious and considerate enough to say "thank you". Very few do.

[Cletus]

E. - I think it was nice of you to give the guy the benefit of the doubt in the end. And I could agree with your POV that people showing up for no more reason than getting these "hit 'n run" valuation opinions could be disingenuous in some instances. I think this particular OP just thought LFF might be a good source of information - and turns out it was! :)

[Cletus]

It could be argued that "doing his research" was exactly what he was doing by registering here!

[Jac@stafford.net]

I is a Star Gate!

[ROL]

I is a Star Gate!

I know you is, but what am I?!?

(You seriously dug up this thread just to say that?!? Have the attendants been notified? :eek:)