The National - camera made by Butcher & Sons

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Question to members that have such a mahogany field camera in half plate or full plate size: if they could show a picture of the front of their camera where the lensboard can clearly be seen.

My camera is missing its lensboard, and I would like to replicate one, and although I see some pictures on the internet, almost all of these have roller blind shutters installed on their lensboards which makes it hardly visible.

thanks
Ron

[Rod Klukas]

Is your camera a Climax (metal body-leather covered) or a Cameo, wood body and older?

if you send me a pic and we can identify the camera model, we might be able find dimension. I have many older books.

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Thanks for the offer Rod. The model name of the camera is "The National" so might/should be in your catalogue. These are all wooden view camera's. However almost all of the ones I see on internet have a roller blind shutter in front of their lens board, and therefore hard to see. Guess there are no clear pictures of these camera's in the old catalogues since these had no photo's in them but mostly drawn pictures.

Here's one in half plate size:
from most of the pictures like this one, it seems that the sides of the lens board are a little chamfered....but not sure
What is clear to me is that the board is a 5 part piece (two splines are connecting a centre board with two horizontal breadboards)
https://img.carters.com.au/6166c58abe90ab842f8522580ed5e884.jpg

https://www.photrio.com/forum/attachments/upload_2020-8-3_18-18-55-png.251759/