Extremely large format rail mounted camera

[Leland Christian]

I am buying a warehouse and inside I found this extremely large format camera. Does anyone know anything about it? I have used medium and small formats but have never seen anything like this. I would like to know make, model and what it was commonly used for. The building was built in 1913 as a telephone company building. In the mid 1940's it bacame a stain glass window company and now is a silk screen plant.

[David A. Goldfarb]

That's a process camera used mainly in the printing industry for large scale copy work and making halftones and plates.

The cameras can be adapted for other uses, but they're hard to move and deal with.

There is much interest in the lenses for these cameras, which can often be used on ordinary large format and ultra large format cameras, so if you were planning to scrap the camera, sell the lenses.

They also usually have large vacuum backs, which I'd imagine could be salvaged for other purposes.

[Leland Christian]

Thank you david, that is the information I was looking for. I have more research to do but for now the camera is staying were it is.

[Gene McCluney]

Of the three occupants of the building you mentioned, it is only the silkscreen operation that might have a use for the camera, therefore even though the camera is very old (1920's, 1930's) it is most probable that it was purchased used and installed at a later date.

[David Vickery]

Hello, Some people have converted those cameras into big enlargers. As David said, the lenses and the vacuum back with pump can have a lot of value. But if you decide to get rid of the camera don't throw away those belows. Some people have used them to make light weight ULF cameras(well, lighter weight than the camera in your picture). I once received a camera similar to that one and immediately donated the majority of it to a metal recycling company and kept the Belows and the lens.