What Is It?

[davidgladden]

I picked this piece up in a box lot several months ago and have no idea what it could be used for. The back half is 8 x 10 and the front is 5 x 7 with a mounting in the center for a small lens board and a plunger that would appear to be a shutter of sorts. Any ideas?:confused:
http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh113/davidgladden/Unknown%20equipment/

[Louis Pacilla]

Looks like an old enlarging camera with a dead spider on the bellows.:D

[davidgladden]

I considered that as well as a copy camera of some sort. But, why the two formated ends? The spider is an antique and of a type only found in western Europe and long ago extinct.:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Louis Pacilla]

I Think the idea was you had smaller negative to increased so smaller neg in front being copied to Larger Negative in the rear . This could be a lantern slide copier which is close to the same thing as Enlarging camera.

I believe that the negative goes one the front standard the center holds a lens & the rear holds the bigger plate holder to be the larger negative.

http://books.google.com/books?id=YElIAAAAYAAJ&dq=Enlarging%20camera&pg=PA222#v=onepage&q=Enlarging%20camera&f=false

[John Koehrer]

Are you sure that's not the very rare and noisy "Rocky Mountain Barking Spider"?

[davidgladden]

I have carefully removed that little boy, it is a boy, and placed him in a specimen bottle for absolute identification on the spider forum board.

The camera I think is correctly identified as an enlarging camera.

Thanks for the help.

I am also working on what I think is an 11 x 14 Seneca Improved View. The back measures 16 1/4 square and that is the length I have for the 11 x 14 film holder. I do not have a back for it and am in the process of trying to construct one. I have backs that have all sorts of odd openings. The bellows appears to have been replaced and are in great shape. Need to find a proper lens and a couple of holders.

[Leigh]

A friend of mine owns a commercial printing company.

He has a virtually identical camera on display in the reception area, labeled 1894 IIRC.

- Leigh

[Two23]

There's a photo/spider forum somewhere? Jeez. :rolleyes:


Kent in SD

[davidgladden]

A friend of mine owns a commercial printing company.

He has a virtually identical camera on display in the reception area, labeled 1894 IIRC.

- Leigh

I would love to see a photo of it and a look at the ends and lens. Thanks for the info.

[davidgladden]

There's a photo/spider forum somewhere? Jeez. :rolleyes:


Kent in SD

Of course there is a spider board. Isn't there a board for everything.

http://forums.insecthobbyist.com/forum.php?catid=17