I have just acquired an almost mint Gandolfi Universal, dating from around 1900-1920, stamped with Louis Gandolfi's name inside. It has a perfectly good original Ross Xpress 6 inch f4.5 lens with no shutter, plus original Gandolfi dark slides.
It has provenance going back to its early years as the sole camera used by the University of Cambridge's Sedgwick Museum and Department of Geology photographer Albert Barlow in the UK in the early to mid 20th century. His successor bought it from the University when the department finally closed its photo unit, around the same time all the other in-house University photography departments were closed down (I used to work for one of them in the 1970s). I have bought it from him.
I am in the process of restoring it as it's a bit grubby having been been packed away for well over 20 years unused. It has a new bellows, fitted some time ago, but is original in every other way, including (I believe) the lens.
I know my way around most large format cameras but can't quite work out what the two knurled knobs on the top of the rear standard are meant to do (see photo). Does anyone happen to know?
My initial thought that they were to lock and release the swing back, but they appear not to do this as the back still swings whether they are loose or tightened.
All advice gratefully received.
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