Who knows this camera (maker)

[alex from holland]

Hello all,

a few weeks i bought this camera.
More because it had a very nice hermagis petzval on it.
Is there anyone who can tell me some more about this camera or maker.
It can be used in either portrait or landscape mode.
I am very interested why it has 3 slots for groundglass and plateholder ?

who can help me with these questions ??

thanks

Alex

http://upload.pbase.com/image/130790535/original.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/alex28/image/130790536.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/alex28/image/130790537.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/alex28/image/130790538.jpg

[alex from holland]

http://www.pbase.com/alex28/image/130790539.jpg


http://www.pbase.com/alex28/image/130790540.jpg

[GPS]

Hello all,

a few weeks i bought this camera.
More because it had a very nice hermagis petzval on it.
Is there anyone who can tell me some more about this camera or maker.
It can be used in either portrait or landscape mode.
I am very interested why it has 3 slots for groundglass and plateholder ?

who can help me with these questions ??

thanks

Alex


Yes, the back serves as a storage device for both the gg and the film holder. Practical, isn't it?
Remember the idea I gave you in the other thread..?;)

[alex from holland]

Yes, the back serves as a storage device for both the gg and the film holder. Practical, isn't it?
Remember the idea I gave you in the other thread..?;)

Ok , but why 3 slots ?? If two , i could understand why, 3 ??

[GPS]

For the same reason why you don't go to the field with one film holder only... (don't tell me you do...;-))

[Cor]

For the same reason why you don't go to the field with one film holder only... (don't tell me you do...;-))

I do..when shooting Wet Plate..

Cor

[GPS]

I do..when shooting Wet Plate..

Cor

Ah, you still have a lot to learn from the old Masters then...:)

[Steven Tribe]

A limited search points to Schaeffner being a general Photographic Dealer with a exclusive address in Paris who labelled, bought in and commissioned cameras. Most French Tailboard's were not identified by the true maker. This is different from any I have seen and looks as though it might be of the Mono/Stereo variety with moving lens board in the landscape position. Look for cut-outs in the frame underneath the GG.

[alex from holland]

Hi Steven,

do you mean this ??

http://upload.pbase.com/image/130793352/original.jpg

[alex from holland]

For the same reason why you don't go to the field with one film holder only... (don't tell me you do...;-))

yes i do.

Same as cor, wetplater :p

alex

[GPS]

yes i do.

Same as cor, wetplater :p

alex

Time to update?! ;)

[alex from holland]

Time to update?! ;)

If you ever have tried this process than you wouldn't suggest such a thing....

[GPS]

If you ever have tried this process than you wouldn't suggest such a thing....

Quite the contrary! Most of them who had tried it they have already left it...:p

[alex from holland]

Quite the contrary! Most of them who had tried it they have already left it...:p

Ok, can we go back to my real question now ?

many thanks

alex

[Cor]

Ah, you still have a lot to learn from the old Masters then...:)

..yup, cannot afford an assistant yet, than it would be feasible to have more than one bookform holder, do you volunteer as an assitant for me?:)

Best,

Cor

[GPS]

Com'on! Nobody knows him - he's been already dead for a long time now...

[Steven Tribe]

Sorry - busy with dinner and treating my cold!
The two flat brass levers I can see at the top of the picture are probably exactly 1/2 way up the two long sides and will lock a central septum in place for stereo with 2 shots!
Under the lens board there may be two corresponding hole or latch systems.

[alex from holland]

Hello Steven,

sometimes digital can be very handy....
Like this ??:

http://upload.pbase.com/image/130796696/original.jpg

[alex from holland]

I am also very interested in the back of the camera. What kind of plateholders were used inthis camera.
That part is missing ( unfortunately)

[Jimi]

You also have something in the back part (next to last photo) that looks like some sort of insert? The little pegs on the sides looks famiiliar.

It is a very beautiful camera by the way.

[Steven Tribe]

This IS a mono/stereo from the workshop. Apart from the well designed two fixing points front and rear, the round cut-outs on the front standard are typical.
The 2 turnable latches at the rear are really just for extra security as the folded septum is held in by elastic compression. I have a thread on this about six months ago.

I'll think about the type of plate/film holders this uses.
This is definitely a top-of-market 13x18 tailboard.
You might find a built-in indicator on the lens board or standard for the left and right positions?

[Jimi]

Thanks Steven, now I see what the latches are for. I'll have a look in the archives for further reading.

[Steven Tribe]

Here is a photo of my mono/stereo with a newly made septum. It takes about 10 seconds to install and remove. My front "holes" are just out of sight above and below the square opening.

[alex from holland]

Hi Steven,

you are right.
I haven't noticed these things before. see the pictures.
Now i really want to know all about it.
Why are there 3 slots at the back of the camera. One for the ground glass, one for the holder, but why a third one. How did the holder looked like ? How old do you think it is ? ground glass size is about 18 x 24 cm

http://upload.pbase.com/image/130797698/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/alex28/image/130797699.jpg

BTW, i bought this camera for this beauty :

http://www.pbase.com/alex28/image/130745975.jpg

[Steven Tribe]

First 18x24 mono/stereo tailboard I have seen. I can't help thinking this is not for ordinary dry plates. How well does the ground glass fit in the two other slots?
Is there a light seal on the rear of the camera back or on the ground glass frame?
189x ?

[Steven Tribe]

When you know what to look for, you can find stereo cameras everywhere.
In terrible condition, but the indent in back is quite clear.
Just found this on a smaller site. Under the grime and staining is (or perhaps, was) a stereo, tropical and focal plane camera!

[Steven Tribe]

Whilst waiting for more info from Alex from The Netherlands, I thought I might post another photo from the site with the stereo camera. It is an Erneman - just pre strut design I think. I have absolutely no knowledge of the seller - other than he will post outside Scandinavia. Not sure if the box was bare always or whether it has lost the leather finish? Lots of work needed and don't expect the focal shutter to ever work again.

[Steven Tribe]

Alex, I have done another quest for A.Schæffner and have to change my first comments. Two of his cameras have ended up at the George Eastman House. They are given the date 1892. Detective types. Several sources say that he sold Dr. Rudolf Krügener designed cameras. He was certainly not a big seller as there seems no record of a shop in Paris. Having looked at a few cameras from the time (not personal experience), this must surely be a wet colloidion camera.

[alex from holland]

Hui Steven,

sorry. i missed your last question.
There is NO lightseal at the back of the camera.
I can slide in the ground glass, but even the closest way to the camera there is still a smaal gap of a few mm between the camera and the ground glass.
If it was a wetplate camera, shouldn't it be a little older ??
Wetplate has been usend from 1851 until aprox 1880
I really would love to know how the plate holder looked like.

alex

[Steven Tribe]

No expert - but there was a transition period before dry plates became universal . Another thought - based on the 3 slots - is that it was designed for a 3 exposure colour/filter photographic process. The slots would be necessary to "control" the sequence of "red blue green" exposures without mishaps during and after exposures.

[GPS]

Sorry Steven,
this camera has 3 slots - 1 for the gg and 2 for film plates... (good you deleted from your post the Autochrome process mention...)
Many old cameras (box and detective cameras are among them) had a space for multiple film plates...

[Steven Tribe]

I checked that the 3 colour/filter exposure types were the type I remember with mirrors and 3 plates arranged at different angles. I suppose that the focal lengths to each of the three plates must have slightly different to allow for the efl for these colours. If this was a 3 colour camera, then there would have to have been 3 slightly different dedicated plate holders for the 3 colours. Oh dear, this would mean slightly different sized images!

Anyway, this is a different and attractive 18x24, designed also for use for single or double lens stereo - and with good storage for the plate holders.
The light seal must be velvet all the way round the wooden plate holder. There is a type where the dark slide can't be withdraw completely under exposure.