Century Grand Studio #7

**Heywood** · 24-Sep-2010, 11:54

Hello, this is my first post.

A few days ago I picked up this camera at some junk shop. I like cameras, i have a lot, but i take terrible photos. My daughter does take good ones though and i like to pick up odd or unusual ones for her when i can.

You can see it's missing the lens assembly and the board it attaches to. The table is unattached at the moment and the hinges though old seem to be replacements from some years back. The support bar underneath, the single one that goes to the crank at the back for tilting is broken at the crank end (crank handle missign too) & the mount on the frame has 1 side broken.

Most of the physical aspects I can fix but I'm at a loss as to what the original lens was and where i can get a replacement. I have not found much info on this online.

any sugestions ?

**Steven Tribe** · 24-Sep-2010, 12:41

Welcome to the club of Century Studio Camera/Stand owners! We are not a very sensible bunch.

The lenses on these originally and later were very different. You have to measure the size of ground glass back. It looks like you have the sliding back for ? x ? size.
Generally, photographers sized down from the original set-up to the more economic 5x7". The lens boards are 9x9". Lots of good lenses are available (at a price which is more than you paid for the camera I would guess) depending on your interests.

Condition of the bellows is probably more important than minor wood damage. There are plenty of threads here - also about replacement bellows.

Cameraeccentric has a catalogue (look for Eastman Professional) on line.

jp · 25-Sep-2010, 18:36

once the camera is working, the bellows properly keeping light out, you'd often have a packard shutter with air hose & bulb to operate the shutter. For a lens you have many many choices, too many to describe. I'd guess they'd be based on the photographer's budget, style, and time frame. These cameras probably outlasted more than one photographer. Some sort of tessar or it's clones or a petzval style would be probably fairly ubiquitous. Lots of strictly soft focus choices too, but they are getting expensive and can be quite time specific as to when specific ones were in fashion and may/may not show off the capabilities of the camera and formats.

**Jason_1622** · 25-Sep-2010, 21:37

regardless of the steps it will take you to get it up and running, you are lucky! It will be a very rewarding project, for sure!!!

**Jim Galli** · 25-Sep-2010, 22:18

Welcome. That's a beauty. Typically a studio photographer would have several different lenses at his discretion and each would serve a different purpose. Some would be very sharp, some would have some built in softness for a more glamorous look, etc.

Here's one already on the correct lens board, but this one will go through the roof price wise as it is extremely desirable.

I would look for an antique brass lens in the 14 to 16 inch focal length for this camera. The faster the lens, the better it will be for portraits. The sky is the limit. What kind of budget will you set for a lens.

some of mine

**Heywood** · 26-Sep-2010, 14:14

Thanks for all the info so far. I want to try and get whatever kind of lens the camera originally came with if thats possible. I'd like to be able to say the setup is as it was when it came from the factory and then later examine other types of lenses for different results.
Is there a place to view an online manual ? because not to sound like a noob but i don't know the first thing about how to take a pic with this. I thought there would be some mechanism to slide a plate in but I'm guessing after focusing i'd actually remove a part & replace it with a plate holder ?

jp · 26-Sep-2010, 14:32

http://www.cameraeccentric.com/info.html has some old catalogs you might use to see how old cameras and lenses were sold.

**Jim Galli** · 26-Sep-2010, 15:24

Originally Posted by Heywood

Thanks for all the info so far. I want to try and get whatever kind of lens the camera originally came with if thats possible. I'd like to be able to say the setup is as it was when it came from the factory and then later examine other types of lenses for different results.
Is there a place to view an online manual ? because not to sound like a noob but i don't know the first thing about how to take a pic with this. I thought there would be some mechanism to slide a plate in but I'm guessing after focusing i'd actually remove a part & replace it with a plate holder ?

These cameras were not sold with lenses. There is no correct lens that it left the factory with. The studio photographer bought the camera and lens seperately.

The far back piece comes off. You lift the little tabs that trap the pins on the top and that entire back piece comes off. There were also several possible back pieces. The one on your camera is made for a 5X7 film holder to slide into it. As time went on and film prices rose, the backs in use tended to get smaller and smaller all the way into the 1950's for some of them. 5X7 was most common after WWII. In the early days that camera probably had an 8X10 back on it that is missing now.

I have just finished a restoration on a 1905 Petzval lens, 16" that I have listed for sale in the classifieds here.

**goamules** · 28-Sep-2010, 15:38

Here http://www.historiccamera.com/cgi-bi...enturyprodline is a list that shows most of the models. Once you get the camera set up, and get a film holder, it's not hard to use.

**Louis Pacilla** · 29-Sep-2010, 09:40

Hi Heywood

You have received some of the best guidance & information from folks like Jim & Garret & others that have & use these beauties.

I wanted to add a couple of things & one of them is to post a few snaps of the Century #7 / Semi Centennial#1. Mostly because it's a model manufactured in the same time bracket as yours.

I own several Studio cameras that get more use mostly because of more bellow length . However , as a thing of beauty, ( to me) this one is my favorites. I think it's the round celluloid tags on camera & stand as well as the script on the larger brass tag on semi #1 stand. I Also dig the iron base on the stand as it has a more Victorian touch to it & believe it or not I love the older Century Cherry finish.

Hers my camera

BTW- The one thing I do to my Studio cameras as soon as I receive them is to re-felt the platform of the stand. Makes a big difference. Not only visually but functionally. The felt dampens possible vibrations .
Joanna fabrics has the right color. It cold have been a green or maroon shade. I used brown.