Accession No

5245

Brief Description

taper bellows field camera, by Thornton-Pickard, English, 4/4 19th or 1/4 20th C

Origin

England

Maker

Thorton-Pickard

Class

optical

Earliest Date

1875

Latest Date

1925

Inscription Date

Material

wood (mahogany and two others); metal (brass, steel, oxidised brass, tin, white metal); hide (leather); rope (string); plastic (ivorine); glass; cloth (canvas, felt, velvet, cotton, silk (?)).

Dimensions

camera length at minimum extension (including lens) 289mm; breadth 247mm; height 255mm; tripod length closed 583mm; case length 275mm; breadth 190mm; height 249mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Donated in 08/05/1998. Belonged to the donor's father in the 1930s.

Inscription

‘TIME & INST.
PATENT
THORNTON-
PICKARD’ (ivorine disc on shutter mechanism)
‘BRITISH MADE’ (twice on brass binding of lens plate)
‘RAPID SYMMETRICAL
BUSCH’ (lens)

Description Notes

taper bellows field camera, by Thornton-Pickard, English, 4/4 19th or 1/4 20th C.

Black leather bellows connects back plate to lens plate. Lens plate hinged to front support . Lens mount held against shutter by two brass clips. Brass bound ‘Rapid Symmetrical’ lens by Busch with iris diaphragm (adjusted by ring on lens for apertures f8 - f45) and geared cloth focal plane shutter mechanism behind lens mount, operated by tasselled string; shutter can be set open at the halfway point for viewing and focussing. Shutter speed selector; five speeds marked: 1/90s, 1/75s, 1/45s, 1/30s, 1/15s but can be set at points in between these; marked on paper disc. Focussing by moving front and back plates on rack and pinion by knurled screws. Leather lens cover.
Removable back plate with double-hinged ground glass screen (can be swung out to allow insertion of photo plates) and leather carrying strap. Locking mechanism for holding plates. Black velvet light trap. Brass plumb bob on right side of back plate. Lever on bottom right of back plate and screw on bottom left allow bellows to be contracted further than normal.
Lens screws into lens mount. Lens plate clips into front support and folds back and down between side struts. Back folds over the top of the lens plate and locks with clip fastening.
Brass bound folding tripod in three sections, each of which clips into base of camera and is held in place by strut between legs of section. One leg has leather carrying handle.
Rubber air release which clips under release (rubber perished). Brass clip for holding air release to shutter.
Six double plate holders. Wooden with black-painted tin





supports between plates; brass locking clips and hinges; numbered ivorine discs; white metal clip for dark slide; dark slide hinged with canvas so that it folds over plate holder when plate exposed. Eight glass plates extant. One plate holder slightly damaged.
Envelope with spare ivorine discs (these don’t appear to fit the plates).
Black cotton and red silk (?) square hood with button and string fastening.
Canvas covered carrying case with green felt lining and leather fasteners and strap. Remants of carrying strap in bottom of case.

Condition good (carrying case in poor condition; chip to one plate holder; air release perished); complete.

References

Events