Name that camera

[Robert Hughes]

... and that photographer?

[Len Middleton]

Robert,

Obviously an early Chinese built Panda brand folding portrait camera, complete with the very rare and hard to find bamboo tripod. Many of the bamboo tripods were damaged or eaten by roving gangs of Pandas, and indeed it is hard to find one in mint condition without teeth marks on them.

The photographer is the famous UK boudoir photographer known as Andy Panda. Unfortuantely he had a reputation of being somewhat unprofessional with the boudoir models he employed, hence most pictures of him show him sporting a black eye...

Hope that answers your questions on that somewhat obscure camera and its most famous user,

Len

[goamules]

It's an uncommon Circus Camera, not to be confused with the Circuit Camera which did Panoramas. This one took Pandaramas.

[Len Middleton]

Garrett,

You might be right, but I thought the Circus cameras were distinguishable by their Big Tops and their trademark Three Rings.

Dancing bears were also a feature with the Circus, bu seldom Pandas.

Please clarify,

Len

[jb7]

I don't know, but that's a great wall in the background-

[Ernest Purdum]

Len, you've confused Andy Panda with Randy Panda.

[Peter Gomena]

Why, it's Uncle Earl!

Peter Gomena

[Scott Davis]

Don't know about the camera, but from the style of the device, I'd guess he's making Pandaguerreotypes. They're not just blue-sensitive, but full-spectrum sensitized plates.

[Steven Tribe]

This panda doesn't have a very good memory! Note the crib sheets between his teeth.