Old Lady - Albion Plate Camera?

[Heidi Rosser]

Trying to identify this old lady.
In great condition for its age, even the bellows are good. Came with two lenses a Dallmeyer Rapid Rectilinear and Ross lens.
It looks quite like an Albion but could be just un-named.

 

[IanG]

It could be an Albion, from the Taylor Drug Co. Ltd.

I'm racking my brains thinking of a few other companies who used circular lens boards. not many companies did and I have checked in the past as I have a round board that came with a lens. Will think while walking the dog

Ian

 

[IanG]

Another much stronger probability is the Lizars Combination Challenge, this is more likely than the Taylor Drug Co Albion. Lizars were a very much larger company, they still have at least one camera store and are now part of Black & Lizars (Opticians), with shops across Scotland as well as Belfast, Liverpool and London around 1900.

Given the high influx of Scots into New Zealand around that time Lizars cameras would be more common. I restored a shutter for a near identical Lizars camera in South Africa a few years ago.

"Lizars' Challenge" was a £200 Competition, entrance was free and entrance forms obtained with particulars of their range of cameras. £200 was a lot of money in 1898.

Ian

 

[vintagesnaps]

That's a beauty, nice photos of it too. I like the stops, makes me want to come 'play' with it. Thanks for showing it, especially since our local camera swap that would've been yesterday was cancelled.

Thanks, Ian, there seem to be a lot of vintage cameras in the UK, Europe, Australia that I never see here in the US.

 

[dxqcanada]

She looks in great shape.

 

[IanG]

That's a beauty, nice photos of it too. I like the stops, makes me want to come 'play' with it. Thanks for showing it, especially since our local camera swap that would've been yesterday was cancelled.

Thanks, Ian, there seem to be a lot of vintage cameras in the UK, Europe, Australia that I never see here in the US.

There were only a few British style filed cameras made in the US, and mostly for a short time as more hybrid American style evolved. Deardorff were the only company to keep making essentially a British style field camera up until the last few years.

To clarify the American style (which is quite loose and varied) they are derived from British Tail-board and a little from German/French Reisekameras which have a hinged focus bed, the front or Rear standard might be fixed, or both might focus, some will take an extension rail. So simplistically once locked together a fixed focus bed.

A 10x8 Agfa Ansco Commercial View, with extension rail, it has front and rear standard focusing, and is Triple extension bellows extendto three times the normal standard 12"/300mm lens. The agfa Ansco Universal View takes no extension rail and is only double extension.

The British style field cameras use a rack and pinion system, the front standard attaches to a frame which extends or retracts.

On this unknown model the Front standard is fixed, the rear standard can be repositioned by hand it's not by Rack and Pinion. Other cameras differ, often the front standard came be re-positioned like Heidi's camera here.

In this case to fold the camera the front standard is loosened and slid back the brass guides stop allowing the standard to come off and drop into the rear of the camera for folding. There were various Patents covering differing ways of folding cameras, this system is simple and gets around licensing issues.

German Reisekameras use a unique tongue and groove system rather than extension rails, essentially they are extendible tailboard cameras.

Undoing the brass lock (bottom left) allows the outer rear pieces to slide and extend. At the time the tongue and groove was broken, it's now repaired.

Most modern wood/brass and even 3d printed cameras are based on British Field cameras, Wista etc derived from Indian made Houghton India cameras and copies. These style camera are light weight and easily portable so were very popular.

Ian

 

[Heidi Rosser]

Thanks Ian I can always rely on your knowledge.
Acquired lots of old bits of plate cameras recently, nothing complete other than that one.
Seems to be a mad rush of people selling over here since our lockdown. Quite sad really as some people just need the money to get by.

 

[IanG]

I'm always after bits Heidi, shame you're the other side of the world

Now that spring is here in the Northern Hemisphere it's warming up so time for restorations - too cold in my garage workshop in the Winter.

Ian