Eastman Dry Plate Co. 5x7 View Camera?

[Tim Layton]

I am hopeful that someone here in the group will know more than I do about the history and possible manufacturer date range of the Eastman Dry Plate Co. 5x7 View Camera made in Oxford London. It has the original book style plate holders with it as well.

Based on the company history, I am guessing it could be as old as the late 1880's and possibly made in the 1890's.

I have been searching online to find out more history, but I must not be using the best search phrases because I am not getting too much information.

I am in the process of cutting some glass and making some ordinary emulsion to use in this camera and it would be great to know more about the history.

If you know anything, I would appreciate the help and any pointers.

Thank you,

Tim Layton

[Tim Layton]

Hi, which page?


Read down on this page

[Tin Can]

Hi, which page?

Seems I cannot copy and paste wikipedia!

[John Layton]

Tim, sorry that I cannot help you with any camera info (maybe Jason Lane would know?)...but about those DIY dry plates - whose receipe are you following...and what ISO's are you aiming for? Just curious!

[Tin Can]

Jason has spawned competition

at least 2 competitors now

and Eastman Museum is offering an emulsion class on line for $350 shortly


Tim, sorry that I cannot help you with any camera info (maybe Jason Lane would know?)...but about those DIY dry plates - whose receipe are you following...and what ISO's are you aiming for? Just curious!

[John Layton]

I would only be competing were my aim to create and place a similar product on the market myself.

Hmmm...then again:

But to the extent that I am occasionally successful in creating something I might otherwise purchase from a person or company creating/marketing this same product, meaning that they might lose my business...then, yes - I suppose you could say I would still be "competing." Then again, if this were the basis for the definition of competition...then anytime I do anything that I could instead pay someone else to do for me (like fixing my car, cooking supper, or making a print), I would be competing with them.

To take the above concept back to ground zero...maybe we could say that Neicephore Niepce, who created the first (recorded) photograph all those years ago, inadvertently spawned a seemingly bottomless pit of "competition!"

(...time to crawl back under my car - with apologies to the local auto mechanic!)

[Tin Can]

John,

Jason runs a business and is good at it.

Zebra is competing https://www.etsy.com/listing/832159911/zebra-4x5-dry-plates-10-hand-coated

What you and I do is 'DIY' which we both have been doing since children.

Age 9, I fixed my new bicycle, then riding Motorbikes at age 16, 1967 I found nobody could actually fix them, so I never let any 'wrench' touch my 200+ used bikes, except me. I don't trust anybody to actually tighten the bolts. When my friends bought new bikes in 1978, I checked the bikes before they rode them 10 feet. I found front axles loose, spark plugs etc. At that time I was a factory trained Suzuki mechanic.

Now I won't touch any machine, repair car, tractor, motorcycle, but I sit with the novice and hand the person wrenches.

Right now I am assembling a Giant Bicycle Factory adult tricycle, which will get DIY upgrades.

However this bike is so carefully designed, packed, I can easily see why Giant Bicycle Factory (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/17/business/giant-bikes-coronavirus-shortage.html) is impossible to compete with.


I would only be competing were my aim to create and place a similar product on the market myself.

Hmmm...then again:

But to the extent that I am occasionally successful in creating something I might otherwise purchase from a person or company creating/marketing this same product, meaning that they might lose my business...then, yes - I suppose you could say I would still be "competing." Then again, if this were the basis for the definition of competition...then anytime I do anything that I could instead pay someone else to do for me (like fixing my car, cooking supper, or making a print), I would be competing with them.

To take the above concept back to ground zero...maybe we could say that Neicephore Niepce, who created the first (recorded) photograph all those years ago, inadvertently spawned a seemingly bottomless pit of "competition!"

(...time to crawl back under my car - with apologies to the local auto mechanic!)

[Tim Layton]

Hi John, my favorite emulsion to make and use for my historic subjects is the ordinary colorblind emulsion. The speed of my plates vary from ISO 1 to 3 typically and that is exactly what I am aiming for because I like to use the old brass and barrel lenses that don't have shutters. The basic Kodak AJ-12 recipe is where I started and then just tweaked some variables like the silver addition rate and ripening time. Then over time I got a little more sophisticated and switched from adding the silver via a syringe to using a peristaltic pump for better control. The emulsion is very easy to make and works great.

My lab and darkroom and current under construction, so I used some of Jason's plates last Saturday to photograph some historic mills in the Ozarks. I really liked the results and I favor the ASA 2 (ordinary) plates over the Ortho 25 speed plates because that is sort of where my personal vision is at. Here is one of the plates from last Saturday along with an iPhone scanned image that was inverted on the iPhone with Photoshop Express and touched up a little bit. Once my darkroom is back up and running, I will pick a couple of these plates to print in the darkroom. I plan to return to the mils with the new Eastman Dry Plate camera and shoot some 5x7 plates.

216515216516216517





Tim, sorry that I cannot help you with any camera info (maybe Jason Lane would know?)...but about those DIY dry plates - whose receipe are you following...and what ISO's are you aiming for? Just curious!

[Tim Layton]

I had no idea about the Eastman Museum upcoming course. I assume Nick is teaching it. You have a link to that? I would love to see what they are doing.

In regards to Jason vs other people making plates, Jason's quality and attention to detail is second to none. I am sure he will continue to dominate this small little niche and continue making plates for a long time. I fully support what he is doing and want him to be very successful.

[Tin Can]

4 clicks to https://www.eastman.org/events/workshops


I had no idea about the Eastman Museum upcoming course. I assume Nick is teaching it. You have a link to that? I would love to see what they are doing.

In regards to Jason vs other people making plates, Jason's quality and attention to detail is second to none. I am sure he will continue to dominate this small little niche and continue making plates for a long time. I fully support what he is doing and want him to be very successful.

[Tin Can]

I cannot afford ANY class

I also prefer DIY

I cannot travel

All Good!

[Tim Layton]

Thank you.


4 clicks to https://www.eastman.org/events/workshops