Posted 3 years ago
rniederman
(343 items)
It’s been a couple years since I posted a “What’s this accessory?” challenge. (Hmmm … it’s been a couple months since I posted anything.)
One of the reasons for these ‘mystery’ posts is to share with the collector community strange, wonderful and overlooked accessories that have been around since the invention of photography. Some are incredibly odd and work. Others are the equivalent of ‘snake oil.’
Some helpful (or not) info:
* 12¾ inches wide x 5 inches deep x 1½ inches thick.
* Cherry wood and brass construction.
The challenge is straight forward, what does this thingy do and why would a photographer be interested in it? Gimmick or not?
In past “What’s this accessory” posts, the CW crowd has proven to be pretty sharp and I expect this to be solved rather quickly.
As with my previous ‘mystery accessory’ posts, anyone who guesses correctly will have my admiration and that of your CW peers. Whenever this is figured out, I’ll post pictures of the accessory showing its maker’s markings, and (if not figured out) describe how it works.
IMPORTANT: As always, wild comical speculation is encouraged!
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Added picture of device made specifically for the No.2 Stereo Brownie with the camera; showing the device is bigger than the camera.
It didn't take long to solve the mystery! The "Stereo Self-Transposing Printer" is a clever device making it easier to correctly print stereo images from roll film. It's a very scarce accessory.
Well first thought was a pochade box, but you said photography...so I believe its to make stereo pictures..ie; printing stereo negatives. Most likely Kodak, brownie
dav2no1 pretty much nailed it ... well ... roughly 98% right! Impressive!
This is a device to print stereo negs. It was made by Kodak specifically for its No.2 Stereo Brownie. The camera is posted here at: https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/73098-celebrating-early-stereo-roll-film-camer
So ... why is a specialized device needed for printing stereo negs?
dav2no1 ... you got this far ... can you bring it home?
Nice rniederman-- I didn't even know that there was a stereo brownie!
scott
Looks like it's possibly for making stereo cards for hand-held viewing, but that would only be in vertical format. Unless perhaps they were printed out and then pasted in place? Dunno.
It's for a stereoscope viewer. Creates perspective..hope this link works.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co8209304/stereo-self-transposing-printing-frame-for-no2-stereo-brownie-camera-negatives-printing-frame&ved=2ahUKEwjnkIy_6pLwAhUYpZ4KHSDjBXYQFjABegQIBBAC&usg=AOvVaw2FwE9JQmCcL_sTcz0aDt5-
Wrong link.. maybe this will work? It's a pdf
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.pacificrimcamera.com/rl/01351/01351.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjnkIy_6pLwAhUYpZ4KHSDjBXYQFjAAegQIAxAC&usg=AOvVaw1uaF_UIUvoLBaxy-uiqlNG&cshid=1619128769906
SDCameraFan ... Yes. The Stereo Brownie made vertical picture pairs. Its format was 3¼ x 2½ inches. After printing, a single sheet of printing paper with the image pairs was pasted onto a mount.
dav2no1 ... Yup! Searching for No.2 Stereo Brownie camera info uncovers the true name of the device - "Stereo Self-Transposing Printer" and how it works.
Okay ... so why was this an interesting thing to own? It made printing and mounting stereo image pairs much easier because the negatives didn't have to be cut a part and both images could be printed on a single sheet of paper at the proper viewing width (interocular distance).
When a picture is taken, the image pairs are backwards on the film roll. Additionally, the distance between the negative pairs wasn't optimized for stereo viewers. To solve this, each neg image could be printed separately. This is done by sliding the printing frame’s bed side-to-side. The result was a correctly oriented pair of images spaced appropriately for viewers on a single sheet of paper. Pages 44 through 46 in the PDF booklet (follow the second link from dav2no1) explains why the frame was created and how to operate.
You'd think in all my antiquing travels I would have seen a stereo camera. But nope - not til today!
Early predecessor to what we now have..3D & 4K
Thanks!
Thomas
RichmondLori
kwqd
fortapache
dav2no1
Designer
VERY VERY NICE!!
Hi Celiene ... thanks for looking. Cameras are complex and easily modified which makes authentication difficult. It's one of the reasons antique dealers avoid rarer types. Stereo equipment are interesting and I have many examples posted, as well as other types of multi-lens cameras with 4 to 15 lenses.
Also thanks to:
Lady_Picker
AnythingObscure
aissia
Ben
rustyboltz
Thanks!
vintagegirl66
Michael
vetraio50
vintagelamp
Thanks!
vintagegirl66
Michael
vetraio50
vintagelamp
Thanks!
farmlady
Sean
Sunmoon2679
Longings
Thanks!
sanhardin
sugargirl
Retrofutura
f64imager
Thanks!
snowman3
Designer
Vynil33rpm
chrissylovescats
Chevelleman69
MooreAntique
Beachbum58
crswerner
farmlady
egreeley1976
It sounds like the mystery is solved re: your wonderfully interesting piece. Still, in case you have any remaining questions, you could always try contacting the Eastman Museum, specifically the curator of the Technology collection: https://www.eastman.org/technology
Thanks for sharing this!
Hi, rhineisfine ... thanks for checking this out. There are no questions about what this is or how it is used. I post these 'mysteries' for fun with full knowledge of the items. In regards to the Eastman Museum, it is a marvelous place to visit. And don't miss the George Eastman House! As background, I've known the technology curator (Todd) a long time, have frequently visited the collection for research, and on one trip even identified an unknown Anerican camera in the collection. For those interested in the history of photography, it is a truly great collection to see.
Thanks, AntigueToys!