Early SLR camera's | ||
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Posted 10 years ago
Hawl
(8 items)
Only yesterday I came aware of the existence of early SLR camera's like the one here. I seldom see this type of camera in collections. Why is it that these early SLR's never became populair?
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This is a Duplex Ruby Reflex made by Thornton-Pickard Manufacturing Co. The image you posted is from an English collector's incredible collection. (Although it appears on the Internet on the collector's website, it is always a courtesy to cite the source of a posted image ... for those who are interested, here is the URL: http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/entry_C414.html)
To answer your question, this SLR design was extremely popular in the form of a leather covered body pattern offered by the American company Graflex, Inc. Graflex's SLR design was introduced in 1902 and continued into the 1960s with an amazing range of models (including specialized cameras for stereo photography and naturalists). Graflex SLRs were also widely used by reporters and journalists well into the 1920s.
Exposed wood models, such as the example posted, were marketed as 'tropical' cameras. They were made of teak and special leather; specialized materials chosen for work in humid (tropical) environments that are resistant to rotting, mold and insects. Brass bindings were also used to reinforce corners to prevent warping.
All-in-all, it's these tropical models made by several English builders are incredibly beautiful, uncommon, and quite collectable.
thanks again Rob Niederman