TexT
15-Jul-2023, 19:02
Some time ago, while I was attending community college, I happened upon an advertisement selling some camera gear by a retired Nat Geo photographer local to me, who had also worked for Kodak around fifty years ago.
I didn't end up purchasing anything from the want ad (it was for a horseman, which while very nice, I don't have the space for the bulky case. However, he showed me around his home, all fifty years of his career that is coming to a close, and he mentioned and gestured to and old field camera on the shelf. At the end of the conversation; I agreed to buy the field camera, as it would suit my needs far better, and I got what I felt was a good deal on it ($350 with an old, cheap-ish lens).
We were unsure of the make; he recalled it being an "Arista" (one might recall the brand of entry-level films, papers and chemicals) but after some research we both settled on it being a "Rajah" or some other late Deardorff clone.
https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=240505&d=1689472888
I noticed the remnants of an "O" in silver decal on the side; such as this:
240504s
However, while perusing the internet I found this link:
https://www.ebth.com/items/11500513-deardorff-and-sons-chicago-viewfinder-folding-plate-camera-1920s
Which shows photographs of a camera exactly like mine spare an intact label - and it purports to be a Deardorff!
Is this genuine? If nobody here knows; who could I contact to verify?
P.S. I am very new here and still figuring out how the photo upload system works!
I didn't end up purchasing anything from the want ad (it was for a horseman, which while very nice, I don't have the space for the bulky case. However, he showed me around his home, all fifty years of his career that is coming to a close, and he mentioned and gestured to and old field camera on the shelf. At the end of the conversation; I agreed to buy the field camera, as it would suit my needs far better, and I got what I felt was a good deal on it ($350 with an old, cheap-ish lens).
We were unsure of the make; he recalled it being an "Arista" (one might recall the brand of entry-level films, papers and chemicals) but after some research we both settled on it being a "Rajah" or some other late Deardorff clone.
https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=240505&d=1689472888
I noticed the remnants of an "O" in silver decal on the side; such as this:
240504s
However, while perusing the internet I found this link:
https://www.ebth.com/items/11500513-deardorff-and-sons-chicago-viewfinder-folding-plate-camera-1920s
Which shows photographs of a camera exactly like mine spare an intact label - and it purports to be a Deardorff!
Is this genuine? If nobody here knows; who could I contact to verify?
P.S. I am very new here and still figuring out how the photo upload system works!