Who knows this camera : Sperling Germany ?

[alex from holland]

Hi All,

i bought this camera today. it was a bit of a gamble because i couldn't find anything on the internet.
It's in very good shape and to my opnion well build but i don't thingk it's very old.
It's a 8 x 10 inch camera , made in germany. On the brass it says :

made in Germany
Sperling
and H S B in the triangle sign at the front.

Anybody who can tell me something more about this camera ??

thanks

alex

http://www.pbase.com/alex28/image/119871302.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/alex28/image/119871299.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/alex28/image/119871298.jpg

[alex from holland]

Nobody has any additional info ?

alex

[Ari]

Alex,
All I found was a similar camera listed on EBay, made in the Ukraine. To quote:
Constructed in the Ukrain at Kharkov from the beginning of the 1970`s. Generally made from fruit-tree wood with nickel or chrome mechanisms. Panel as usually in black "embossed" plastic. Focusing on double toothed rack. Utilised by some generations of professional soviet photographers, these " archaic " cameras were manufactured up until 1987.

It looks exactly like yours, and is called an FKD 13x18. I suppose it was the cheapest way into 8x10 photography.
You can look here as a start:
http://www.wholesaledigital.co.za/fkd.htm

Whatever it is, enjoy it; looks heavy but fun.
Regards,
Ari

[Peter K]

Alex,

sorry I've only some general information. Such cameras where made by many small workshops also for bigger photoshops. (Of course analog in this time.) So the name "Sperling" could also be the name of a shop's owner. "H S B" is possible Hans? Sperling Berlin?.

"made in germany" was invented with the british „Merchandise Marks Act“ from august 23 1887 to support the campaign "buy british!".

Is the plate size 8x10" or the smaller 18x24cm? In continetal Europa, also in Russia, the metric plates where common.

Peter

[Steven Tribe]

I don't think a shop would have stamped the brass hardware like this. German sellers were more into small metal plaques screwed or stuck on. This looks like a typical walnut camera made in workshops around the south (or around the Alps anyway). It will be 18x24 unless made for the export market. The tradition continued in the old Soviet quite late - as has been mentioned. Although I have often seen "fruit-tree" quoted, I think all of them are basically walnut. If it is from 1890 - 1920, the condition is much better than average! Will do a search for the name. B for Berlin is a good guess.

[Steven Tribe]

The other possibility for a newer camera is that it was made in DDR (GDR) in the Russian sector. The Mentor series of large format studio cameras continued and was developed, Berlebach's tripod enterprise flourished and perhaps there was a retro walnut camera maker as well. The arguement against this is that the system was usually very keen on using "DDR" on products rather than Germany or Deutschland - at least in the later years.

[alex from holland]

Hi All,

it has a 18 x 24 cm groundglas.
The finishing is much better ( to my opninion ) than the FKD although the camera looks similar.
All the brass work fits perfectly and also has a perfect finish.
While making this camera they have payed much more attention to the finish compaired to the russian camera.
I also think it's made of mahogany

see enclosed pictures

http://upload.pbase.com/image/119903338/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/alex28/image/119903339.jpg

[Steven Tribe]

I don't think this is small leaved mahogany (cuban mahogany/Swietenia mahagoni). But it could be one of the tropical mahogany types which has been used since extinction/protection after 1945!

[csant]

Nice (and careful) alignment of the screw-work.

[Arne Croell]

According to Thiele's "who is who" of the German photo industry, Hans Sperling started the production of photographic articles in 1950 (!) in Berlin. His first products were large format travel cameras in the formats 9x12 to 18x24cm. He soon abandoned camera manufacturing and switched to slide projectors.

[Steven Tribe]

Arne, would that be FRD's or DDR's Berlin? I guess West Berlin - because of "Made in Germany".

[Arne Croell]

Arne, would that be FRD's or DDR's Berlin? I guess West Berlin - because of "Made in Germany".

It does not say specifically in the book article, but a free market entrepeneur starting up in the GDR in the 1950' and 1960's is not that likely.

[alex from holland]

Thanks Arne.

That maybe explanes why this camera is still in very good shape.
So it's not as old as expected. But no problem. I didn't payed that much.
It's still a very nice, good made camera

alex

[alex from holland]

Thanks, Arne for this info.

alex

[jwaddison]

It looks like it could be a true mahogany (a Swietenia species from Latin America or a Khaya species from Africa). At the time this camera was built (I'm assuming before 1960) there were about seven "true" mahoganies on the market, not counting the red merantis from Asia, which were later passed off as "mahogany". It could also be one of the latter, but I think the true mahoganies were more common at the time. There's nothing wrong with the meranti, it's a nice wood, but it's not a mahogany.

[Steven Tribe]

I agree it is definitely a variety of Swietenia - not one of the rather horrible "Mahoganys" now on the market. I was on a beach in Cuba in the early 90`s - no, I am not a US citizen! There was a small odd tree near the high tide level which was in a bad way and almost dead. We were in company with someone who was a long time resident. We talked about the sad fate of Cuba's mahogany trees. I asked about what the trees looked like and he paused and looked at the half dead tree. "Well" - he said - "they looked a lot like that" - pointing to the nearest tree. 30 minutes later we all had a genuine souvenir of a tiny piece of cuban mahogany - taken with a pocket knife from a detached branch. I can give a location/ map reference - but there have been a few major storms since then!