Joined: Sept 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 113 Location: Vienna, Austria
Two unique plate cameras « Thread Started on Oct 26, 2009, 4:58am »
Hi !
Here are two homemade plate cameras, which i purchased as flea market bargains a few years ago. They were both in a need to repair condition, partially fragmented, but nearly complete. The first one is named "Delta Klapp Camera" ( Delta Folding Camera ) format 8x11cm, the name is amateurish engraved in the front-plate. The wooden housing is covered with some kind of paper foil, which was once in a dark red colour ( unfortunately almost gone and turned to black ). In front of the simple lens there are three aperture settings to adjust. Maybe the constructor was inspired by the Krügener Delta camera. I would date this camera around 1900.
The second one came with a book ( published in 1911 ) titled: How to build a photographic apparatus with wooden cigar boxes. It is one of a series of do-it-yourself books. At the end of this book there is an advertisment for the " How to get meat in this hard times" guidebook. This must have been no happy period in europe.
The camera, format 11x13cm, is equipped with a Julius Laak Söhne Rathenow Normal Polynar 1:6.8/135 and a fold away viewfinder. As i disassembled the camera for maintenance and repair, i could still see the cigar-brand name inside. I would date this camera about 1915.
This are the things you may find, if you bend down to the cartons below the flea market counter and have a look at the basement-finds.
Joined: Jun 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 319 Location: Masterton, New Zealand
Re: Two unique plate cameras « Reply #3 on Dec 5, 2009, 4:13pm »
MIK, these are well worth the time spent grubbing around in amongst a few cartons. Together with your comments, they constitute serious material culture artefacts. Your restorations look beautiful.
The ephemera provides that vital contextual link between the camera and social history. Hard times, indeed.
Canuck Curt Administrator Co-Owner member is offline
Cameras find me when they have nowhere else to go.
Joined: Jun 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 1,442 Location: Northern Ontario, Canada
Re: Two unique plate cameras « Reply #4 on Dec 6, 2009, 12:44pm »
Hi MIK, Beautiful old folders I think we'd all be proud to own. Nice restoration on them and fascinating the things crafty peoply can do with cigar boxes. A lot of "tramp art" was carved or made with cigar boxes too. Ingenious.
« Last Edit: Dec 6, 2009, 12:45pm by Canuck Curt »
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