Need Help with a 8X10 Korona Pictorial View

[Kirk Fry]

I just acquired a project camera. It is a Korona Pictorial View made by the Gundlack Manhattan Optical Co. (very early 20th century) The attached picture is very similar but not identical to my Camera. Mine has an extra fixed platform with a tripod socket across were the sliding tripod block is on the pictured camera. Mine does not have a sliding block (lost?). It has about 3 inches of rise and 3 inches of shift in the front and back tilts about 2 inches at the bottom, no swing. It is a triple extension tailboard design. The extension is a nifty nested geared arrangement and full extension is about 26-28 inches.

Besides the missing block (or it never had one) I have all the major pieces. It has the original bellow (although a bit perforated but maybe fixable). I am missing two locking knobs and need a source for those. I also need a handle and retaining hardware.

So now for the real question. The back is different from every other view camera I have owned. The ground glass is on the inside of the spring back frame. Usually the glass is on the outside with retaining springs like on a Dorff or a Calumet. So someone rigged up a couple of spring holders on the inside to hold the glass in. The springs are held on by screws and the screws prevent the spring back from seating correctly in the back (not to mention messing up the location of the glass in regards to the film). The question then is how does one hold the glass in the frame? I was thinking about gluing it in with maybe silicon aquarium cement. If you own one of these guys could you look and see how the glass is retained. Maybe all Koronas are llike this?

The other curious thing is that along back left edge on the inside is attached a 8 inch 1/4 metal tube. What is that for, maybe a holder for something to support the bellow so it does not sag, or umbrella or what?

K (Kirk Fry not to be confused the other Kirk.)

[Michael Roberts]

Kirk,
Looks like a great vintage camera--love the sliding rail design, wonder why Kodak didn't adopt it??

For holding the gg in, here is my solution:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=24096&d=1237597200

Basically, cut a small rectangle of wood, drill a hole through the middle, position the edge along the side of the gg opening, drill a pilot hole for the screw, then screw in the wood retaining clip, being sure to put washers on both sides of the wood. This allows you to swivel the wood retaining piece when you need to replace the gg w/o having to remove the screw. Paint it all flat black, of course, since it is inside the camera.

Have fun cleaning/restoring your camera!
-Michael

[ic-racer]

Is the ground glass held in like this one?
http://www.fiberq.com/cam/gundlach/viewearl.htm

Otherwise a picture would be helpful.

[Kirk Fry]

Michael,

Thanks for the picture, mine is not like that, that is the usual arrangement of the ground glass, on the outside, mine is on the inside of spring back. The bevel is not much deeper than the glass. I will try to photograph it. It is an odd set up.

ic-racer,

Also thanks. The picture shows a camera that is very different from mine and it looks like again the glass is on the outside of the spring back. Someone out there must have one of these cameras.

I have made some progress, I figured out how to get the bellow lose to work on it. :-)

I am still looking for knobs, and the top handle. I would guess Dorff hardware for the handle would work.

Thanks.

KFry

[sly]

Have you found this link? It's where I found info about my recently aquired Korona. Mine dates to 1928-30, I think. I love the little plaque on the front - "Seebold Invisible Camera Company".
http://www.fiberq.com/cam/gund.htm
My gound glass has spring clips on the outside, and no tube. It didn't come with any spare parts, so I can't help you out there. The bellows had been repaired, and I've been happy with the few photos I've taken so far.