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Thread: Graflex and Graphic serial numbers

  1. #21
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    Re: Graflex and Graphic serial numbers

    Thanks Dan, I often forget things I read. I have been to http://www.graflex.org/ often, I learn best with things in my hands.

    I will stop using the wrong term for Graflok backs, as many have written, the whole darn nomenclature is confusing.

    I do know I like these little cameras. I only shoot them with sheet and even recently started shooting sheet with Mamiya RB.

    My fumble fingers have difficulty with roll film in many ways.

    I also know this forum does not consider 2x3 large format.

    Thanks for all your advice.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Fromm View Post
    Miniature Speed Graphic with a Graphic (= spring) back. Compare it with a Crown, whose full name is Pacemaker Crown Graphic.

    International back? Wash your mind out with soap. Graflok back. Graflok. And, yes, there are all sizes of Pacemaker Speed and Pacemaker Crown Graphics with Graflok backs. Also with Graphic backs (= spring backs) and with Graflex backs (as on Graflex SLRs). Whatever the customer wanted.

    The Graflok back came to market in 1949. Before 1949, Graphics were delivered with Graphic backs, the Graflex back was offered to order. Starting in '49, Century Graphics had integral Graflok backs, other Graphics had Graphic backs as standard and Graflex and Graflok backs were optional. Eventually, sorry, I don't know which year, the Graflok became the standard.

    When the Graflok back was introduced, Graflex Inc. sold Graflok backs to fit older Graphics. I've seen Miniature Speed Graphics with the correct retrofit Graflok, complete with a flash socket at the back's upper left corner.

    Now go over to www.graflex.org, read the FAQs and everything else, and educate yourself.

  2. #22

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    Re: Graflex and Graphic serial numbers

    My Speed Graphic is No 920512 but appears in the list between Crown Graphics can anyone shed any
    I believe my camera is 1956 with the top rangefinder however it has a Graflex Optar lens so no help dating from that.
    Thanks for any help with the date of my camera

  3. #23

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    Re: Graflex and Graphic serial numbers

    920512 is in a block of 3,000 4x5 Graphic serial numbers assigned 5/24/1956. 919,930 - 922,929. The next block of 4x5 Graphic serial numbers was assigned 11/19/1956.

    When these serial numbers were assigned Graflex Inc. assigned blocks of serial numbers to 4x5 Graphics without regard to type. Crowns and Speeds could both have numbers from the same block, the s/n has no bearing on whether the camera is a Crown or a Speed.

  4. #24

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    Re: Graflex and Graphic serial numbers

    Dan,
    Thankyou for your informed and quick answer, much appreciated. That pretty much nails it.
    Cheers
    George

  5. #25
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    Re: Graflex and Graphic serial numbers

    After my recent treasure hunt I now have three 3.25x4.25 Crown Graphics on hand. And wouldn't you know, all three serial numbers fall within the 756000-756500 range. Per the big S/N list, I guess that dates them to 1952. (Is the list purporting to record when the numbers were assigned, when the cameras were manufactured, or...?) Granting that N=3 is a small sample, but the coincidence does make me wonder about the population from which I'm sampling - how many quarter-plate Crowns were ever made, and in how many production runs. From what I've seen so far in searching the web for information I imagine nobody knows for sure, but I'm curious even so.

  6. #26

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    Re: Graflex and Graphic serial numbers

    Oren, Graflex Inc. and predecessors assigned serial numbers in blocks -- the smallest block contains 1 s/n -- and then built or didn't build the blocks out. The best that can be done to estimated when a serial number was used (= the camera bearing it was made) is to place it between the date the block containing the s/n was assigned and the date the next block for the camera model was assigned. Even this isn't perfectly safe. And some low production cameras had successive blocks of serial numbers assigned years apart.

    I supposed that Graflex made cameras in batches (your production runs) but can't prove this and have no idea how many batches a block of serial numbers might have contained.

    Graflex Inc. started assigning blocks of Pacemaker Graphic serial numbers by format rather than model (Pacemaker Speed Graphic, Pacemaker Crown Graphic) some time in 1949. This makes it impossible to tell how many of each model were made.

  7. #27
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    Re: Graflex and Graphic serial numbers

    Thanks, Dan. Perusing the list further up the thread, with all the caveats one needs to apply to it, I'm left wondering whether there were far fewer 3.25x4.25 Pacemaker Graphics - be they Speed or Crown - made compared than 4x5. Pending more/better data I'll consider that a hypothesis.

    I would have always assumed that the number was smaller, just not by that large a margin. I guess it shouldn't be that big a surprise, though, now that I think about it - I can't think of any contemporaneous 3.25x4.25 models other than the Kalart press camera, whereas 4x5's were offered by many vendors then as now. That presumably says something about demand.

  8. #28

    Re: Graflex and Graphic serial numbers

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ID:	213007Hello,I am super green to Graflex cameras. My dad passed away and left me a Greeley camera. It has a serial number of 905254. Around the lense area it says Crown Graphic. Can someone help in determining what type of Graflex I have? Thank you .
    Last edited by Texasdent; 21-Feb-2021 at 14:58. Reason: Added picture

  9. #29

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    Re: Graflex and Graphic serial numbers

    Greeley? The pictures show an upside down 4x5 Crown Graphic with a top range finder. The serial number is in a block of 3,000 numbers assigned 5/12/55. The next block was assigned 7/21/58.

  10. #30

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    Re: Graflex and Graphic serial numbers

    Hi,
    That looks like a 4x5 Crown Graphic, with a 127mm f4.7 Kodak Ektar lens in a Synchro-Compur shutter.
    I recommend you use the search feature here, and check www.graflex.org.
    An abundance of info here, and there.
    There are two types of ground glass frames ..."backs"... for that model, one accepts a wider range of accessories than the other. A photo of the back will help us determine which one you have.
    The " RR" serial number on the lens dates the lens to 1955.
    Last edited by Dugan; 21-Feb-2021 at 15:19. Reason: More cowbell

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