Please help me identify this wooden studio camera

[jhogan]

I have a huge E&HT Anthony studio camera that I'm doing my best to identify... Has anyone seen one of these before?


Here are some details:

-(24"?) CC Harrison lens, with adjustable aperture, Serial # 11,033.
-approx 30" bellows draw, with center support
-approx 14 x 14" ground glass with various reduction backs down to about 5x8"
-geared pan and tilt on rear standard, no rise or fall
-no movements on front standard
-sliding bed/s focusing with brass lock
-sliding "reduction back" (ground glass/half plate?)
-unusual film/plate holder (?) w/ sliding "Tambour door," same size as back of camera


Please see phone-pix attached for further details...

Any ideas?

Thank you for replies.

[jnantz]

it looks like a century studio camera ...

http://www.historiccamera.com/cgi-bin/librarium/pm.cgi?action=display&login=centuryprodline

some vintage adverts, they may help you ID what you have ! :)

i have an 8A and it kind of looks like what you have ..
i use it for 7x11 as well as 11x14 ..

have fun !
john

[Louis Pacilla]

Better yet, check this out. Look through some of the catalogs from around 1900.

Very good resource

http://piercevaubel.com/cam/catalogs.htm

It's not a Century. It's an Anthony Climax 11x14 studio camera. Both the CC Harrison Petzval & the Studio camera appear to be in fantastic condition. The camera has plenty of bellows for longer lenses for the 11x14 size.

You will need a spring back if you want to shoot modern holders.( film )

BTW- "Any ideas? " By your original post, it looks like you already know what you have. Not sure what the question is.

[jhogan]

Thanks for the links John and Louis.

Louis re your comment:
BTW- "Any ideas? " By your original post, it looks like you already know what you have. Not sure what the question is.

My hope is to identify the model name/number of the camera, and possibly the approximate date of manufacture... Other than what I could glean from the engravings on the lens and camera, I don't know anything about equipment from this era.

Thanks again for the replies.

[Louis Pacilla]

I have changed my mind as far as your beautiful Anthony being a 11x14 Climax. I'm about 95% sure it is the 11x14 New York studio camera.

This is a direct link to the 1899 L.M. Price of Cincinnati Oh catalog. If you scroll down to pg.81 you will find the New york outfit. The drawing of the camera in the catalog is the 8x10 model which came only with a single extension. The 11x14 was a double extension.

http://piercevaubel.com/cam/catalogs/1899princelp697.htm

Anthony made this outfit for years & it wound up being the bases for the Agfa/Ansco Studio #5. The #5 was available in 8x10 only with spring backs. It could be had in 11x14 or larger but would have been a special order.

Your CC Harrison was more than likely made around 1865 ish. Much older than the camera.

[jhogan]

Thanks for the further info, Louis... it certainly looks like the 11x14 "New York" setup, with a double extension bed (~36" at max, btw).

I'm particularly intrigued by the "curtain slide Benster holder, the most perfect plate holder in existence."

Those catalogs are great fun to look at!

Also, thanks for the info on the Harrison lens. It's amazing that something 145 years old is in such good condition.

[Lynn Jones]

Scoville split into two companies, the second of which was photographic.

E. Anthony Photo Studio became successful, when when he started to do retail photo business, he included his brother H. T and they changed their name to E. & H. T. Anthony Co.

Scoville Mfg. and E & HT Anthony were the largest photo selling companies during roughly the Civil War era and afterward.

Anthony & Scoville merged in around 1901. At some point Hannibal Goodwin's invention of cellulose film was sold to them and they successfully sued Kodak for the theft of that technology.

Later, Anthony & Scoville becamer Ansco and became one of the most successful makers and retailers of professional and amateur photo products in America. Agfa invested in Ansco primarily because of Ansco's research in color technology, and during WWII the US government took them over under Alien Properties laws. They were essentially destroyed by the government's bad management. The only remnant is General Aniline & Film, a company that makes some chemicals and floor tiles.

Lynn