Cameras/Unknown glass plate camera that will stump you
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Question
I have an old glass plate camera with out any markings that I can find other than the distance scale.The camera is a 4x5 folding camera made out of wood and is covered in leather but I think the bellows have been replaced because the are not leather (just a guess I would assume all glass plate cameras were made before other mateials were used).Ok for distinguished things, the lens or shutter is all brass with I and T on one side and the shutter on the other, I know the I is for instant and T is for time and how they work.Here is the strange part there isn't any glass in the lens and the apeture controls are a small rotating piece of metal with three different size holes.I'm not a collector just came across this and would like to know what it is and if it has any value.I have picutres I can send to help.
thank you, Doug ak.doug@acsalaska.net
Hi Doug,
I'm afraid your descritpion can fit a zillion different cameras! But not to worry! If you can send a single simple JPEG digital image to me at silver@well.com I should be able to identify and appraise it. Please, only one image is necessary (showing the camera's overall appearance when the bellows is extended to normal position), keep it small (anything larger than 50kb is a waste of bandwidth), and only in JPEG format or my cranky old computer will choke on it. The other option is that you post the image somewhere on the internet and tell me where to see it. After I take a look, I'll get right back to you with whatever I know about it.
Best wishes,
David Silver
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David Silver
Expertise
I'm an expert on all types of antique, classic, and contemporary cameras, as well as the general history of photography. Everything from ancient box cameras to modern single-lens-reflex; from simple Kodaks to sophisticated Leica and Nikon; from glass plates and roll film to movie and 35mm. I can identify and appraise them, explain how they work, and offer insights on their restoration and care. I can also provide historical background on vintage cameras and equipment, and guidelines on their purchase and sale.
Experience
I've been a professional photographer and a student of the history of photography for nearly 30 years. During that time my collection of vintage cameras and photographic paraphernalia has grown beyond 2000 significant pieces. I've published nearly 70 articles in the field, including 16 in the popular "Buying Classic Cameras" series for PHOTO SHOPPER MAGAZINE from 1995 to 1997, I'm currently a contributing editor for CAMERA SHOPPER MAGAZINE and McKEOWN'S PRICE GUIDE TO ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC CAMERAS, and I've written numerous entries for WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA. Portions of my collection have been displayed in museums and special exhibits in the past two decades, and many of the items were photographed as illustrations for books. In 1985 I founded the International Photographic Historical Organization (InPHO), which eventually evolved into its intended purpose as the best first resource for information on the history of photography. I'm also a founding member of several e-mail forums dedicated to specialized areas of photography, and I'm the moderator of the Internet Directory of Camera Collectors (IDCC), which remains the largest and most successful such group in the world. For more information about the International Photographic Historical Organization and its many services, please visit its web pages at:
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