1958 4x5 Crown Graphic

Rick58

Been spending a lot of time on here!
Joined
Jun 23, 2012
Messages
4,227
Reaction score
1,473
Location
Reading, Pa
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
_57_zps3qdpauhq.jpg

_57b_zpswvmz7rhf.jpg

_57a_zpsgy2aaoki.jpg

Ok, I admit it. I'm a Gear Junkie.
This camera was previously owned by the Dept. of the Interior and placed in storage 50 years ago. The camera shows very little signs of use and was obviously properly stored. Lens is mint and bellows like new. The camera could have been made last month instead of 57 years ago. Tracing the serial number shows this batch of Crown's began 2 months after I was born and ran for 8 months.
 
OHH, that is really minty.
Great find there. I would love to own that one. It would go great with my large format Laborator enlarger.
... hmm, want to trade for a vintage Brownie ?
Probably not.
Does the DoI have any others just lying around they want to give up (to me) ?
 
You know you want to take her out for a spin, Rick! You have the chemicals. Got film? C'mon, you know you wanna!

I'm such an enabler :D
 
LOL...Thanks Dennis, but if they start pulling out the freebie mints, I'm going to be a little P.O.'ed after what I spent.

@ Leonore, I definitely got it to use. Unfortunately, I still reach for the Df when I go out. Damn digital makes life too easy :grumpy:. All intentions are still there though.
 
Last edited:
Oh, I get it. I have yet to use the Baby. It's too easy to fall back on...well, not digital for me, but 35mm! ;) But I've got the tank now and know where to get some 2x3 sheet film...now I just have to find the time. And I still have a developing backlog that I have to get to first!
 
Crown_zpsvlivzdob.jpg

...and his little brother. I found this photo hiding on my hard drive. This was my fathers 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 in about the same condition. My dad bought this in the early 60's and always babied his gear. I never dated it, but it's slightly older as can be seen by the side mount Kalart rangefinder that was discontinued in 1955
 
Wow...I've never seen any Graphic as fresh and minty as the one you're taunting us with! Sweeeeeet!
 
Thanks Derrel,
An odd curiousity for anyone slightly interested, you'll notice, on the lensboard, this is a "Special". Most would think this would be something "Special". Actually it's just a typical Crown that sold for about $20 less because it was sold with an Xenar lens instead of the typical Optar or Ektar. Who would think a "Special" would actually be considered inferior because it sported German glass instead of the typical Rochester. 1958 was also the first year Graflex introduced the "Speical" in an attempt to boost sales.
 
Very nice, looks brand new. Seems like the marketing people were working overtime with that "Special" version.
 
Very pretty and with the upgraded Xenar lens.

Joe
 
I hit the tail end of the Graphic days when I went to work as a reporter for a major metro newspaper in Los Angeles when I was 20. I was a reporter then and a photog later. When I got to making photos I used a Rolleiflex. Most of the old time newspaper photogs had Speed Graphics that looked like they had be throwed out of a window two stories high. But they always worked. They cleaned their lenses with the end of their neckties and darn, they were good shooters. That Crown Graphic you have is a peach. I'm building a FrankenGraphic (a Speed) from spare parts and it looks pretty nice but not as nice as yours.
 

Most reactions

New Topics

Back
Top