Kirk Fry
16-Apr-2009, 23:02
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.)
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.)