Eastman Dry Plate & Film Co camera - restoration

[Ron (Netherlands)]

In a big old tarnished leather case came what supposed to be a camera made by the Eastman Dry Plate & Film Co camera. As such it wasn't usable anymore: some broken parts were loose in the box, further the bellows were very dry and in some places loose on the seam and had stains of moisture. One little screw and one washer were missing - not bad for such an old parts cam...

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48567400027_712edfa659_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2gZJBXZ)

Restoring meant the following:
1. re-gluing some of the wooden parts, some parts were broken, other only loose;
2. fix a broken shaft; since there might be force on the shaft, I had to secure it to its base with with a screw;
3. cleaning the bellows, re-gluing the seam on some places;
4. treating the bellows with two layers conditioner to rejuvenate the leather (luckily this camera came with real leather bellows which made restoration easier);
5. some of the brass hardware was very tarnished, therefore I buffed them up;
6. cleaning the old ground glass (thickness is only 1 mm) - and before that, sanding off its sharp edges.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48567273061_e48dcd9b4a_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2gZHYdV)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48567276336_099ebdceb4_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2gZHZco)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48567308706_ec0ac14b50_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2gZJ9Pu)

Although it is an Eastman camera, this one is undoubtedly made in Britain and not in the USA: according to the makers plate it was made and/or sold at 115 Oxfordstreet London by "THE EASTMAN DRY PLATE & FILM Co."
Any additional info on this camera or on its makers is much appreciated.

[Ron (Netherlands)]

..and another picture of some wood re-gluing ..

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48567261951_a1d9e70e39_o.jpg

The camera came with its three very beautiful double wooden film plate-holders which needed only a little cleaning.
The camera came without a lens, so I have to seek for one which will cover this plate-size (f 250-300mm should be adequate as a standard lens).

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48567721577_7975f455a0_o.jpg


...the makers plate:

https://kpmg0072.home.xs4all.nl/LF/20190818_174041%20kopie.jpg

[Jim Noel]

How wonderful! good luck with the rebuild/restoration

[Steven Tribe]

Channing & Dunn give this Oxford Street address as being from 1890 - their first address was in Soho Square in 1885.
They say that UK production began in the 20th century - but by then they had moved to other addresses!

[Mark Sampson]

It will be a beauty when it's done! No doubt it will give you wonderful photographs too.

[Steven Tribe]

[QUOTE=Ron (Netherlands);
Although it is an Eastman camera, this one is undoubtedly made in Britain and not in the USA: according to the makers plate it was made and/or sold at 115 Oxfordstreet London by "THE EASTMAN DRY PLATE & FILM Co."
Any additional info on this camera or on its makers is much appreciated.[/QUOTE]

As I hinted at in a previous note, this is not UK made - but a product of Rochester USA!
Eastman were extremely aggressive in buying up all the small makers of field cameras in Rochester and basically removed the original labels and put their badges on them. If you start at Vaubel's summary here...

http://www.piercevaubel.com/cam/ekc.htm

...you might be able to identify the origin of your "Eastman"!

They do have a lot of similar features, though!

[Ron (Netherlands)]

As I hinted at in a previous note, this is not UK made - but a product of Rochester USA!
Eastman were extremely aggressive in buying up all the small makers of field cameras in Rochester and basically removed the original labels and put their badges on them. If you start at Vaubel's summary here...

http://www.piercevaubel.com/cam/ekc.htm

...you might be able to identify the origin of your "Eastman"!

They do have a lot of similar features, though!

Thank you Steven, ...already had a look at the pierevaubel link - very informative about the early produced US camera's.

However at closer look and comparison the Rochester camera's shown in the link may give rise to more questions.
First the camera under restoration misses a feature that almost all of these Rochester camera's are sporting: a so-called spring back.
Next the US camera's do not seem to have a circular brass tripod base and no front panel locking devise which resembles Rayments patent.
Also the wood and finish used seems to be different: the camera in question is made of french polished mahogany whereas most of the Rochester cameras seem to be made of a little softer woods which have a light or dark stained finish - the difference becomes clear when looking at little damages in the wood.
Further the plateholders that came with the camera do not resemble other US made plateholders but resemble British made holders.

One can indeed assume that the camera under restoration was built before 1890, since thereafter the KODAK name came into use.

Wouldn't it have been more practical (easier) for Eastman to contract (or buy) one of the many British camera makers, to have some camera's built for them at British specs than to have them built at Rochester and shipped to Europe ..facing import duties and other costs?



< edit: Additional info which might give a clue about the production: in the brass circular tripod mount a patent date has been stamped, which reads: "patent 3/9/84" >

[Steven Tribe]

I agree with just about all your points - but there some models that approach the typical UK style field cameras.
UK book plate holders could have been adopted to follow the UK tradition.

However, I think you are right about there being a UK supplier of this model - in spite of Eastman having a lot of Rochester companies to keep busy!

IF so, then I don't think anyone has discovered it before now.

The brass base attachment for a tripod is a 1885 (No. 5965) Patent by E. and TP Underwood of Birmingham who made a lot of cameras in the late 1880's. Earlyphotography.co.uk has more data.

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Here's some update. After cleaning all the pieces and having the bellows rejuvinated, I put everything back together.
1st and 2nd picture: glueing the bellows to the back panel and the front panel;
3rd and 4th picture: cleaning the tripod mount and putting the base plate back together...

https://kpmg0072.home.xs4all.nl/Eastman/Gluing-bellows.jpg

However before finally putting the other parts together I recognised I didn't have an old tripod that would fit this type of old British tripod mount, so I made an adapter from a piece of oak. The oak came from a piece of old parquet found in a waste container in my street used by people refurbishing their home.....(thats what I mostly do: using scrap wood as much as possible for wood projects)...

https://kpmg0072.home.xs4all.nl/Eastman/Compilation%20-%20tripod%20adapter.jpg

...in the meantime I learned to put multiple images in one file :-)

[Two23]

I love it when people bring these old treasures back from the dead.


Kent in SD

[Ron (Netherlands)]

A fellow member asked for a bigger picture of the tripod adapter (which I've sent him by personal message). But I guess others might appreciate it as well: is shows better the way I attached the wood to the circular metal tripod base > with the use of 6 little screws.

https://kpmg0072.home.xs4all.nl/Eastman/20191201_141441.jpg

[Steven Tribe]

These period tripod base inserts are quite a popular item on ebay, but I don’t think there are standard sizes. The three loose legs of the oiginal tripods fit quite a range of sizes.

I note the irregular oak growth will give some protection against weakening cracks, but perhap an “Intrepid” ply solution would have been more reliable?

[Ron (Netherlands)]

These period tripod base inserts are quite a popular item on ebay, but I don’t think there are standard sizes. The three loose legs of the oiginal tripods fit quite a range of sizes.

I note the irregular oak growth will give some protection against weakening cracks, but perhap an “Intrepid” ply solution would have been more reliable?

Indeed Steven, I guess plywood would work as well or even better, however not sure whether plywood would stay strong when there are screws in the end sides of the wood. However I had only oak as hardest wood at hand and no plywood. Some make them from metal - which seems the best option; and my Thornton Pickard acquired this year, came with a metal adapter:

https://kpmg0072.home.xs4all.nl/Eastman/metal%20tripod%20adapter.jpg


There are apparently also fellow members that work with metal like this one here:
https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?127895-Show-off-your-ULF-camera&p=1528823&viewfull=1#post1528823:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49214366893_ea6aebc634_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2hYUuF8)

[Ron (Netherlands)]

It would not be complete without a lensboard that could take my lenses / shutters. Therefore I had to replace the original one since that one had a very big hole and too many screwholes for my taste. Actually I made two boards - since I have another big lens I want to try out. The one shown here does nicely fits my 250mm Tessar.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49375799486_d0f6779bc0_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ieaSXG)
Eastman full plate camera (9) (https://flic.kr/p/2ieaSXG) by Ron (Netherlands) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/zorki_2007/), on Flickr

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Ok here a pic of the completed camera with its 3 matching full plate holders - the bellows came out very well after rejuvenation - conditioned with the right lotion and oils the Russian leather became quite supple...

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49375832041_8901d2e78a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2ieb3CZ)
Eastman full plate camera (10 - final) (https://flic.kr/p/2ieb3CZ) by Ron (Netherlands) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/zorki_2007/), on Flickr

..and now starting the quest for some full plate film

[Ron (Netherlands)]

... and what I found about the address on the makers label:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49386059073_e608f0ae7d_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2if5sM8)
Crowded Out - Eastman moves to 115 Oxford Street (https://flic.kr/p/2if5sM8) by Ron (Netherlands) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/zorki_2007/), on Flickr

[Tin Can]

Very well done and great documentation

Thanks for the story and posts

You too Steven!