Mystery 5x7 plate holder

[Doug Kerr]

As part of a lot of miscellenous camera stuff I bought at auction (no, not at Sotheby's - can I say "Sotheby's" here?) I got two nice wood 5x7 plate holders. They carry no markings except for a patent date, 4/23/07.

That returns to US Patent 851281, issued to James Charles Drake, of Rochester (Not surprising? Well, it's Rochester, Minnesota!). It covers an improved dark slide light seal system for plateholders.

Does anyone have any idea who might have made/sold these plate holders?

When I got them, both had Eastman sheet film sheaths in them (two different styles).

Thanks for any insight you might have into this.

[Rob_5419]

As part of a lot of miscellenous camera stuff I bought at auction (no, not at Sotheby's - can I say "Sotheby's" here?) I got two nice wood 5x7 plate holders. They carry no markings except for a patent date, 4/23/07.

Clearly these plates are ahead of their time - it's only March 2007 now ;)

Seriously - as your plates are 1907, the likely candidate is Kodak Eastman; a number of my plates bear a Kodak designation for half-plate (4 3/4 x 6 /12 inch) and have similar licences granted to a named seller. (Internal plates are of various vintage, often added after the original holders due to damage and give no clue to the plate's provenance). That's the way things were done 100 years ago. Nowadays we're used to buying any old product from an anonymous internet shop, however 100 years ago, the link between manufacturer and seller was much more relevant; enough for a manufacturer to hinge their reputation on a shop brand and have it stamped so. You may find that James Charles Drake, is not actually a bona fide person/photographer who used the plates, but actually the name of a shop when you research your library annals.

Regards

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Rob,


Clearly these plates are ahead of their time - it's only March 2007 now ;)

Well, I quoted the marking verbatim; I wouldn't write the date itself that way! (I would actually write that date "1907.04.23"!)


Seriously - as your plates are 1907, the likely candidate is Kodak Eastman; a number of my plates bear a Kodak designation for half-plate (4 3/4 x 6 /12 inch) and have similar licences granted to a named seller. (Internal plates are of various vintage, often added after the original holders due to damage and give no clue to the plate's provenance).

Well, not due to damage - the plate holders would probably not have had sheet film sheaths in them originally at all. So the Eastman sheaths were presumably added to allow the use of sheet film.

Interestingly enough, the partition in these holders ("septum" is the correct anatomical term, but of course that has been inappropriately pre-empted for the multiple film carrier sheaths in a certain type of film holder) is made of a mottled reddish cardboard, very much like that sometimes used for file covers.


You may find that James Charles Drake, is not actually a bona fide person/photographer who used the plates, but actually the name of a shop when you research your library annals.

No, that was the name of the inventor (US Patent No. 851,281), and would certainly have been a natural person.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Best regards,

Doug

[Olivander]

James Drake was general manager of the Conley Camera Co of Rochester, MN. He had been a foreman for the Imperial Camera Co of La Crosse, WI, until Imperial was bought out by Conley in 1903.

[Doug Kerr]

Hi,


James Drake was general manager of the Conley Camera Co of Rochester, MN. He had been a foreman for the Imperial Camera Co of La Crosse, WI, until Imperial was bought out by Conley in 1903.

Fabulous information! Thanks so much.

From this, can we guess who might have made the plate holders under his patent?

Best regards,

Doug

[Olivander]

From this, can we guess who might have made the plate holders under his patent?

That would be the Conley Camera Co. They made a wide variety of cameras, from little 120 box cameras to pocket folding cameras to 8x10 view cameras. Most of their products were resold through the Sears catalog.

I suppose it's possible that the patent was licensed out to some other company which actually fabricated the plate holders specifically for Conley, but I think that's unlikely. Regardless, they most assuredly were made to go with a Conley 5x7 plate camera.

--Alan

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Alan,


That would be the Conley Camera Co. They made a wide variety of cameras, from little 120 box cameras to pocket folding cameras to 8x10 view cameras. Most of their products were resold through the Sears catalog.

I suppose it's possible that the patent was licensed out to some other company which actually fabricated the plate holders specifically for Conley, but I think that's unlikely. Regardless, they most assuredly were made to go with a Conley 5x7 plate camera.

No, I think the assumption that they were made by Conley (or at least, for) is reasonable. Given that Conley made so much stuff to be retailed by others (SRC, etc.), it wouldn't be surprising that they didn't put their name on these.

Thanks again for helping me with the mystery.

Best regards,

Doug