Share your favorites on Show & Tell

Gibbs Camera (½-plate format), 1888

In Cameras > Wood Cameras > Show & Tell.
Wood Cameras12 of 283Victorian or vintage wet plate camera?Premo Supreme Camera. 1902. (The ultimate American self-casing plate camera?)
35
Love it
0
Like it

Cokeman1959Cokeman1959 loves this.
chrissylovescatschrissylovescats loves this.
Chevelleman69Chevelleman69 loves this.
Beachbum58Beachbum58 loves this.
TedMillerTedMiller loves this.
Rooster123Rooster123 loves this.
crswernercrswerner loves this.
f64imagerf64imager loves this.
AntigueToysAntigueToys loves this.
blunderbuss2blunderbuss2 loves this.
mcheconimcheconi loves this.
Lady_PickerLady_Picker loves this.
DesignerDesigner loves this.
usedcarladyusedcarlady loves this.
leighannrnleighannrn loves this.
JohnKratzJohnKratz loves this.
jscott0363jscott0363 loves this.
RichmondLoriRichmondLori loves this.
kwqdkwqd loves this.
sanhardinsanhardin loves this.
trukn20trukn20 loves this.
SDCameraFanSDCameraFan loves this.
sugargirlsugargirl loves this.
farmladyfarmlady loves this.
LongingsLongings loves this.
oldpeepoldpeep loves this.
shughsshughs loves this.
Daddy_NobucksDaddy_Nobucks loves this.
yourneverrightyourneverright loves this.
vetraio50vetraio50 loves this.
dav2no1dav2no1 loves this.
fortapachefortapache loves this.
BenBen loves this.
officialfuelofficialfuel loves this.
ManikinManikin loves this.
See 33 more
Add to collection

    Please create an account, or Log in here

    If you don't have an account, create one here.


    Create a Show & TellReport as inappropriate


    Posted 3 years ago

    rniederman
    (343 items)

    Happy holidays (soon) to everyone! I thought to end an unusual year with an extremely rare and fascinating camera.

    As I’ve said in past posts: I love quirky camera designs that also contributed to the overall history of more successful concepts. In a couple cases, 19th century builders working independently from big manufacturers made the greatest innovations. For instance, CGH Kinnear and Frank Pearsall are two individuals who put forth original ideas and designs that were adopted and copied by major companies deep into the 20th century. Yet these pioneering builders remain relatively anonymous because total production was incredibly small and their cameras were often lost/trashed or simply remain undiscovered. (In the case of Gibbs, only three cameras are known.) And as a result of this obscurity, the apparatus is rarely understood and documented beyond their patents.

    Even though I don’t normally collect more than one example of a camera, this Gibbs is unique enough to be an exception. Given its oddball design and rarity, I jumped at the opportunity to acquire this camera when it became available. While similar to the other Gibbs in my collection (and posted here on CW), it has enough differences to make it worthwhile to own. It is definitely different than anything made before or after it.

    William C. Gibbs is a builder that is unknown to most of the collector community. He lived in Oakland, California which was a long way from the epicenter of American camera manufacturing in Rochester, NY. His big contribution was documenting a build philosophy for what became known as “self-casing” cameras. In his December 1888 patent, Gibbs was the first to describe a “self-contained” camera; meaning a camera that folded into its own case to protect delicate parts. Pearsall (1883) tried it first and then Gibbs.

    In July of 1888 (five months before patent approval), Gibbs showed his camera to the Pacific Coast Amateur Photographic Association. The self-casing concept was hyped per the meeting records: “A sample of the Gibbs Camera, now being made under the direction of our worthy ex-president, was shown. It meets the long felt want of a camera that is its own case, is compact, and yet carries the lens in place, has no loose parts, or annoying projections.”

    But the vision eventually became popular when George Eastman introduced the 1890 Folding Kodak. It was a better “mouse-trap” so to speak and the self-casing concept became a huge hit throughout the 1890s and early 1900s.

    These Gibbs cameras are among the most interesting in my collection. And to be honest, it’s a really cool design. Similar to the already posted Gibbs 5 x 7 inch format camera, this ½-plate version (4¼ x 6 ½ inch format) is also heavily constructed with hand-cut dove-tailed joints, leather bellows, and brass hardware. The key feature identifying Gibbs cameras is a rear body cover that rotates 270 degrees to become a solid platform to support the drop-bed.

    This version, however, has a terrific well preserved tan leather bellows, tilting back, and an interesting focusing system. Basic focusing is done by screwing the focusing bed into one of several holes in the base-board. Fine focusing is then accomplished using rack and pinion gearing. Inset into the rotating base is a large brass rotating tripod mount. The other camera has a wooden rotating tripod mount.

    I have carefully looked at both cameras trying to determine which might have been built first. Taking into consideration design and construction details, features (etc.), I cannot figure out which is earlier. However, unlike my other camera, this example does not have a maker’s label with patent designation. As such (to speculate), maybe this camera was the pre-patent model shown at the July 1888 Photographic Association meeting.

    As background, Gibbs was also a photographer who used his own camera to shoot pictures of the solar eclipse of January 1, 1889. In a letter published in a report by the Regents of the University of California, William Gibbs wrote about his observations and mentioned having successfully exposed two plates that would be given to the Lick Observatory.

    All-in-all, a terrific camera with a great history.

    logo
    Wood Cameras
    See all
    Polaroid SX-70 Model 2 - Walnut Wood Replacement Cover
    Polaroid SX-70 Model 2 - Walnut Woo...
    $32
    J. Lancaster Le Meritoire Antique Mahogany & Brass Camera, 1889
    J. Lancaster Le Meritoire Antique M...
    $325
    Rare 5x7 Rochester Optical New Model Improved Camera Dry Plate No 2 Lens Nickle
    Rare 5x7 Rochester Optical New Mode...
    $375
    FOLDING CAMERA KODAK # 2 FOLDING POCKET A ANTIQUE CUSTOM CAMPHOR WOOD
    FOLDING CAMERA KODAK # 2 FOLDING PO...
    $170
    logo
    Polaroid SX-70 Model 2 - Walnut Wood Replacement Cover
    Polaroid SX-70 Model 2 - Walnut Woo...
    $32
    See all

    Comments

    1. yourneverright yourneverright, 3 years ago
      I was looking @ your profile picture saying whats he up too ...lol cute ..Love your collection, you can will it to me if you like,.. smiling ... have a good winter .
    2. rniederman rniederman, 3 years ago
      Thanks for the kind words, Thomas!
    3. jscott0363 jscott0363, 3 years ago
      This camera is amazing. Wonderful piece of history!!
    4. rniederman rniederman, 3 years ago
      Thanks!
      vetraio50
      dav2no1
      fortapache
      Ben
      Michael
      Manikin
    5. rniederman rniederman, 3 years ago
      Thanks!
      trukn20
      valentino97
      SDCameraFan
      sugargirl
      farmlady
      Longings
      oldpeep
      shughs
      Daddy_Nobucks
      yourneverright
    6. rniederman rniederman, 3 years ago
      Thanks!
      mcheconi
      Lady_Picker
      Designer
      usedcarlady
      leighannrn
      JohnK
      jscott0363
      RichmondLori
      kwqd
      sanhardin
    7. rniederman rniederman, 3 years ago
      Thanks!
      TedMiller
      Rooster123
      crswerner
      f64imager
      AntigueToys
      BB2
    8. rniederman rniederman, 3 years ago
      Thanks!
      chrissylovescats
      Chevelleman69
      Beachbum58
    9. rniederman rniederman, 3 years ago
      Thanks, Cokeman1959!

    Want to post a comment?

    Create an account or login in order to post a comment.