Old Studio Camera ?

[gliderbee]

Ok, here are the pictures of the camera I bought together with a Darlot lens (that's discussed in the lens section). What do you think ? Should I leave it as is (not usable, since the bellows have some problems) or should I try to restore it (with some help from people who know more about it then me of course) ? I'll probably will not take many pictures with it ... :p

Sorry for the crappy pictures: they come from my cellphone ..

From left to right: camera closed, front door open with shutter cable, back with shutter visible (details later), front door closed

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More pictures in next message.

Thanks,
Stefan.

[gliderbee]

More pictures:

shutter front, side view, other side view, shutter back:

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[gliderbee]

and some more:

Name plate, GG installed, back with partially removed "whatever it is ..." (?), camera stand

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[gliderbee]

Pictures of different backs (I don't know exactly what they are; any help appreciated):

little door closed, little door opened, holder with slide front and back

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[gliderbee]

And the last series:

Another back, plate holder, plate holder openend one side and other side. There's a mettalic plate in the holder in the last picture.

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[alex from holland]

Nice camera. Looks like around 1890 or so. But no wet plate camera if you look at the plate holder. The bras parts would have been gone already. eaten by the silver nitrate.
Really nice catch.

Alex

[Regular Rod]

Get it restored and use it.

;)
RR

[Steven Tribe]

Interesting group of plate holders/size possibilities from over a period of time. Drying out cracks are only to be expected after so many years with very thin wood sections. Best filled up with flexible black/brown mastic - you will never be able to get the wood in place again for glueing.
The camera design doesn't really copy the other European styles - I haven't seen 4 standards before. Wood looks to be Walnut for the standards and oak for the "solid" base.
Counting the number of step-down adapters in the holders ( and general impression) I think the max size is 24x30cm. But it could be 30x40cm - that is the square hole is either 30x30cm or 40x40cm?

[vickersdc]

Drying out cracks are only to be expected after so many years with very thin wood sections. Best filled up with flexible black/brown mastic - you will never be able to get the wood in place again for glueing.

Depending on your woodworking skills / availability of tools the other thing to do wood be to cut the affected area out and reglue a new piece of wood in its place; i.e. give yourself two new straight edges that can be glued back together, and add new wood as required.

[Jac@stafford.net]

In this case regarding the backs, I would take Steven Tribe's approach. There are parts too thin for an average person to easily fabricate. It would probably be necessary to plane the parts to replicate the thickness. Steven's method conserves dimensions and assures a quick restore of function.

For cameras with larger parts, 30 seconds (adjust to suit) in a microwave will decouple the animal glue to allow one to easily pull the whole assembly apart with gentle pulls while it is still warm. Let it cool before removing glue residue.

[Steven Tribe]

I hope you will be allowed to take the Camera in from the garden lawn at some stage! This is a problem we (with studio cameras) all have with storage! But it is necessary with someone in the household with the voice of reason.
More postings would be appreciated.

[gliderbee]

Interesting group of plate holders/size possibilities from over a period of time. Drying out cracks are only to be expected after so many years with very thin wood sections. Best filled up with flexible black/brown mastic - you will never be able to get the wood in place again for glueing.
The camera design doesn't really copy the other European styles - I haven't seen 4 standards before. Wood looks to be Walnut for the standards and oak for the "solid" base.
Counting the number of step-down adapters in the holders ( and general impression) I think the max size is 24x30cm. But it could be 30x40cm - that is the square hole is either 30x30cm or 40x40cm?

The square hole at the back is 30x30.

Next weeked, I'll take the camera with me to a meeting of a group that cocentrates on old photographic processes and cameras. There are some members there that are really good at restoring, with excellent woodworking skills. I also contacted the Fotomuseum in Antwerp; they gave me the contact data of their main camera restoration person near Antwerp, so I'll contact that person also.

For the moment, the camera is in the house :).

Stefan.

[Steven Tribe]

So, a 24x30cm studio camera - very close to the 10x12".