10x8 Gandolfi

[seananton]

I am the proud owner of a 10x8 Gandolfi which I bought a couple of years ago, it only needed new bellows and some TLC to be fine. It came with a 10x8 back, a whole plate back and a half plate back, each of these with three double dark slides.

It appeared on ebay at £450 and got no bids, I couldn't believe that no one else had spotted it so I quickly made a bid which the vendor accepted.

I built a 10x8 wet plate back for it so it can now be used either with the original backs for modern film or with the new back for wet collodion work.

http://www.samackenna.co.uk/Gandolfi.jpg

I made a new lens panel and added a coated 1960s 12" Dalllmeyer Serrac fitted in a large compound shutter.

The whole collection came in an enormous fitted case.

[Steven Tribe]

Dear Sean.
If anyone deserves a bonus (for services rendered for Dallmeyer owners!) it is you!
I assume you have a wide range of Dallmeyer lenses from the appropriate period for Wet Plate!

[Bill_1856]

Lucky You!

[Emil Schildt]

looks a lot like mine.
fantastic camera!

[seananton]

Stephen,

Well only my smaller Dallmeyers fit the Gandolfi, the 2B and my RRs, I use my home made 10x8 imitation 1870s Anthony for my 3A and 3B.

My other cameras can be seen at: http://www.samackenna.co.uk/wetplate/cameras3.html

I'll probably get rid of the Gandolfi, I couldn't resist saving it, but I don't need it or indeed use it very much.

Seán

[Bill_1856]

Let me know if you decide to sell it.
Thanks,
Bill

[Steven Tribe]

A small world!
A (plate size?) Gandolfi Universal (tailboard type) was sold at a UK auction ten minutes ago for £360. Plate holders plus 3 lenses.

[Andrew Plume]

A small world!
A (plate size?) Gandolfi Universal (tailboard type) was sold at a UK auction ten minutes ago for £360. Plate holders plus 3 lenses.



Hi Steven

Yes I heard that too :) ................not the greatest piece of pre-auction advertising
all round (it would appear) as:

a) it was a 10x8 Tailboard; and

b) the said lenses are (apparenty (sic) in an excellent state and being) a Voigtlander Weitwinkel, a Cooke Process and an 'a n other'

I'm assuming that a beautiful condition Gandolfi Tailboard (with the original bellows) and scarcely showing any signs of wear is a fairly rare item............? it would be good to hear from you or others on this, merely for self interest only but of course

It's only the third 10x8 Gandolfi that I've heard of for sale in the UK this year. The first one was sold by mwclassics around June and came with a lens and a tripod - they did an exchange rather than a sale and Roy Shakespeare who is a British based prhotographer had a Gandolfi 10x12 with 10x8 and 5x4 backs which he sold over on eBay a few weeks ago

anyhow.............back to yesterday's sale, it certainly seems that the winning purchaser has picked up a really good deal here.....................

best regards

andrew :) :) :)

[john biskupski]

I am the proud owner of a 10x8 Gandolfi which I bought a couple of years ago, it only needed new bellows and some TLC to be fine. It came with a 10x8 back, a whole plate back and a half plate back, each of these with three double dark slides.

Can I ask you where did you get the new bellows from? Camera Bellows, or Gandolfi?

Thanks

[Ole Tjugen]

I have a Gandolfi Universal in original condition - it even came with an uncut lens board! But that's a 5x4" model.

[Steven Tribe]

I found it before the auction and followed it. And was ready for a bid.
My judgement was that it was a least full plate and had a stock number above the name plate (HM Prison or Forensic Department?). I assumed that the lenses were not necessarily interesting (not a studio camera).
The winning bid was very reasonable and I only gave up because it is a camera I don't really need as a user and there is a limit to what I want in a "passive" collection!

[Emil Schildt]

... and there is a limit to what I want in a "passive" collection!

:eek:

You don't want a Gandolfi in your "passive" collection?

(sell it to me then...;) )

[Steven Tribe]

This is a conscious desire to negate my "hoarder" genes. There is the competitive problem too! If it had been cheaper I would have definitely bid. I could have let certain persons know about the lot before the auction - but the chance of a really cheap acquistion would have been gone. The only area I loose my bearings is with "our" sorts of lenses. But buying for immediate sale to others (perhaps with a non-commercial "finders fee") is something I might consider. But, likely as not, I would still be winning an item by bidding against others I know - or know of!

[seananton]

The bellows came from the Custom Bellows Co., formerly the Camera Bellows Co.

Seán

[David Loney]

I would love to see the plans for your wet collodion back that you made for your Gandolfi.

[Andrew Plume]

I would love to see the plans for your wet collodion back that you made for your Gandolfi.

Hello David

unfortunately, Sean died a few years back

regards
andrew

[Andrew Plume]

........and here is a link to his website:

http://www.samackenna.co.uk/wetplate/samackenna.html

andrew

[Andrew Plume]

I found it before the auction and followed it. And was ready for a bid.
My judgement was that it was a least full plate and had a stock number above the name plate (HM Prison or Forensic Department?). I assumed that the lenses were not necessarily interesting (not a studio camera).
The winning bid was very reasonable and I only gave up because it is a camera I don't really need as a user and there is a limit to what I want in a "passive" collection!

just reviving an old post - said Camera (which I've since sold) was a 'pure portrait Tailboard', with from memory, only shift via the lens panel, it wasn't 'a Gandolfi mug shot Camera' simply a 10 x 8 Tailboard, possibly also intended for the then graphic arts industry

I've seen/been aware of three other Gandolfi 10 x 8's during the past six months. Will on here has had one for sale, mw classics in London have another although it seems to need some work and the third was at an auction last Autumn complete with reducing back, lens and original tripod. Museum quality it certainly was, so good you would never want to take it anywhere

regards
andrew