agfa-ansco universal serial numbers?

[Patrick13]

I'm almost finished fixing and cleaning up a 5x7 with serial #2685 and I'm getting curious if there are any records on serial numbers and production dates for these. It would be nice to narrow down when it was made and any related historical info, that kind of background is half the reason I started with old cameras last year :)

Even if records are unreliable that in and of itself is interesting.

[John Kasaian]

Where did you find the serial number on your Agfa Ansco?

[Louis Pacilla]

Hey Patrick I don't think the #'s found on Agfa/Anscos case tells much about when it was manufactured as much as you can guess the age by the "original" finish and the movements available on your Universal. This will give you some idea. Many of the camera manufacturers of the day did not use #'s for dating as much as batch building of cameras. Some did keep track but not all.
I know the last of the Agfa/Ansco Universals will have front tilt and they did away with the front standard brass support that ran across the top of the uprights. They had small brass guides behind the uprights to add support and this allowed for more rise/tilt combination.

Look through as many catalogs as available and then compare and this will give you a close enough dating.

This is the last version in Adams brown stain. They also made the "deluxe" version at this time in silver grey paint with red bellows and chromed hardware. I personally like the Adams brown stain myself. I would guess my 5x7 Universal was made somewhere between 1940-1950.The number on my body is 2943 but again I don't know it has much to do with when it was manufactured. I could be wrong but don't think so.

[Louis Pacilla]

Where did you find the serial number on your Agfa Ansco?

Hey John, take a look in one of the two notches in the bed of the camera where the built in extension rail rest when not extended. It will be right behind the hinge section closest to the extension rail. You have to pull the the extension rail out a bit to see the #

Again not sure it a serial # but maybe it is but I have to imagine they made more then 2943 5x7 Universals before mine was manufactured.

[Patrick13]

Serial # is exactly where Louis said, hidden by the extension. I had no idea it was there until I took to cleaning last night! I've read conflicting dates, like the first ones with the top bar were from 1926-1935, then changes to the front and finally some war stuff and the takeover when they changed to gray and nickle/chrome.

Mine is extremely dark brown stained and shellacked (cherry, I've been assuming). The brass looks to have been painted with bronze-gilt paint rather than lacquered or coated, I'm cleaning that off and going for a satin finish with renaissance wax, it looks similar to the picture Louis posted.

Mine must be an in-between hybrid because it does have the front tilt, but also the front brace across the top which is extended forwards to give the lens board room to maneuver. I do know that ones without the tilt have a flat bar. You can kind of see what I'm talking about here, this is before cleaning or any work at all really:

116569

But as you can see from this shot from the weekend when I got half way done with one side, the brass cleans up well, and you can see the old paint color and how dark the wood is:

116570

In any case, thanks for the info! Every little bit helps to build a story.

[John Kasaian]

Hey John, take a look in one of the two notches in the bed of the camera where the built in extension rail rest when not extended. It will be right behind the hinge section closest to the extension rail. You have to pull the the extension rail out a bit to see the #

Again not sure it a serial # but maybe it is but I have to imagine they made more then 2943 5x7 Universals before mine was manufactured.Thanks!

[Pierre 2]

My 8x10 Agfa Ansco has the serial number under the hinge (you have to remove remove all the screws holding the hinge on the short block to see it) : 2703. Found this camera at the Montreal Camera show and will try to bring it next year so that, hopefully, its previous owner can see it. It has front tilt and the brass flat bar across the upper end of the front mouvement.

Over the last few days, have started to remove clean, polish with Brazzo and re-install every piece that is easily removable. This brings a few questions :

The leather handle is long gone but the brass straps are still there, held by what appears to be brass nails as there is no slot on the head. Could those be some sort of brass rivets instead ? (just can't picture nails for this application). Would like to remove those straps to get the as clean as the rest.

I believe the rise shaft knobs are secured with a brass (?) pin and not a set screw. Any easy way to get the pin out ? (I am specifically referring to actual experience with Agfa or Ansco cameras here).

The gear tracks appear to be tightly fitted in wood grooves, held by what I believe are small nails - Anybody care to confirm ? Easy to remove the tracks without breaking/bending them by prying them out with a thin but very long flat blade screwdriver ?

The quarter-turn plate is bent outward and does not provide adequate tension to secure properly the two hinged base parts. This will be easy to bang in but I feel that it will remain a weakness as compared to the wing bolt on the 2D or even better, the twin wing bolts on the B&J. Anybody changed to one of the better systems ?

Those of you who have been there before : Do you take absolutely every thing apart or do you clean polish the brass while it remains attached to the camera ?

I am not doing a museum piece here, but I do want the camera to look nice, at least from a distance. Wood shellac finish is damaged/missing in many places : This will remain like this for the moment. May consider refinishing the wood if I get to replace the bellow but am still entertaining the idea of patching it with red Dip-it.

Thanks,
Pierre

[John Kasaian]

I think the brass handle straps may be attached with split rivets. That's how it's done on most of the wooden cameras I've seen. On Deardorffs you have to remove the frame attaching the bellows to the rear standard with oval head wood screws to see where the split rivets end. It might be similar on the Agfa Anscos. An easy fix is used something like a dog collar or a pre made leather handle (music repairmen have these for fixing instrument cases) until you really need to remove the bellows, then you can do it up right.

[Pierre 2]

Thanks John ! That would make sense.

Believe the bellow is glued so will wait to see first if I can effectively patch it. If so, will check out dog collars as well as pre-made leather handles.

[braxus]

I have a later model Ansco 8x10 made in USA. Where do I look to find a serial number on mine? My camera has the battleship green on wood color.

[braxus]

I found a number hidden under the bed rail that slides forward. It is next to the hinge on the bed. Anyway my number is *79. That's a really low number. Is it possible they only made a few hundred of these cameras back in the day?

[karl french]

No, they made thousands. It was a popular camera. I have 1088, 2850, a US Navy camera from 1941 and an early one I've not be able to find the serial number on yet.