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Headline items

Although the collection is huge, fully listed on the full list page, and show on the photos page, there are a number of cameras that are perhaps of major historic interest and value. On this page I want to just cover some of these. There are 203 cameras in the full collection plus a number of other items. The collection was developed to show the development of the camera, and although we have some unusual and rare cameras, that we would consider the headline items, and create initial interest, it is often the camera a person had when younger, or their mother or grandmother had that creates the most excitement for visitors.  If we had got around to putting a tourist attraction together in one place we would have put card or padding inside the cases in the cases collection to show how the cameras looked when put away, leaving the cameras still on display. Making this huge collection look ever larger.

Major items within the collection

Remember you can click on any photo to see a larger version

This is we think the most historically important camera within the collection, and not so much for basic camera, square corners and red leather tends to suggest a very early camera. The real interest is in the shutter mechanism that has been constructed to go behind the lens. Clockwork brass hand made cogs, string and blinds, create a shutter that is so similar to later designs that this had to be the prototype. Eventually the blind mechanism was moved from behind the lens to just in front of the film, where it is today on the modern 35mm SLR camera. We believe therefore that this is the prototype that was used to develop the shutter type that allowed photography as we know it to exist.

While everyone who has seen it agrees this is likely, we have not done the work to prove it, which would require getting various experts to agree, comparing it with later ones in more detail, harder than you might imagine as these cameras are rare and valuable so museums and others are not so keen on you handling them. If proven we have been told that this camera would set a new record if put on sale. The current record is held by another prototype at £146,750, but this was I think about 20 years ago, since that a historically exciting prototype has not come on the market.

Automatic plate changing camera.

Red leather covered large box type camera, with a great surprise. This pre dates roll film, and probably therefore represents the first design of box camera. Inside is a cleaver mechanism that holds a number of plates in metal holders, and these are pushed forward with a spring, advancing to the next plate involves in effect releasing a ratchet mechanism, so that the current used plate falls forward and latches down. When you have taken all the shots the plates are all laying flat on the bottom. This appears to be a production camera rather than a prototype, but we have never found another model like this anywhere. It may be that only a few were made and that this is either one of very few or the only model of this type.

Today we take for granted being able to get prints of various sizes, but prints were originally made by a contact printing method, so the camera film size had to be the same as the print size you wanted. This is the reason why we have historically so many different sizes of camera. Many of these older cameras have far more adjustment than we have today. Very many having the option to lift the lens plain, which allows photos of buildings to be taken without them appearing to slope backwards. The one in the center above has many other adjustments, multiple viewfinders and even a built in spirit level. It also folds up to go in your pocket. The very small one on the left is a vest pocket Kodak, and this model was carried by many soldiers in the first world war, fitting in their uniform vest pocket. On the Sanderson, (wooden camera above right), just about everything adjusts, front back sideways up and down and even at angles.

	The top of the range photographers kit The press photographers kit, right, is a through the lens, single reflex, with bellows, a lifting front, and both plate and roll film backs. When I had it the focal plane shutter was running although the material around the hood, used to shade the ground glass screen needed replacing. Of all the old cameras this is the one I have been tempted to have renovated professionally. I am convinced that it could match many of the cameras we have today, but with a great deal more capability to handle architectural subjects.
	Left, another view of the press camera. Right a full kit in near mint condition with original boxes from the 1950's Below another full kit and fully working camera, complete with an unopened pack of plates.

How about something completely different

You will have seen the old stereo pier and fairground viewers and published card slides, that went into a hand viewer, you held up to both eyes, well this is the camera (right) that was used to take these. This is a full kit, with many extras, including special cassettes, filters, lens hood and lens caps. It has multiple viewfinders, built in spirit level and made of metal to military precision, and may be military kit. A stereo camera is really just two small cameras that share common controls, arranged with their lens the same distance apart as your eyes. The black slide we believe was used to load cut film into the cassettes.

I could have talked for pages, about all the plate, folding, box, promotional, Polaroid, about films made with the movie cameras and more, but I always write too much.

So Finally Lets finish with a a set of Nikon cameras, one of the collection photos shows a silver case with more accessories flash, more lenses, etc, its all just too much to detail fully.  The Nikon F, is a joy to use, many would say the absolutely best camera to ever be made, many professionals still use them every day.  All three of the Nikon cameras included in the collection are a joy to handle. We have the start with the early prototype, and the absolute peak of perfection with the Nikon F, the complete history of the development of the camera.

Remember you can click on any photo to see a larger version

Don't miss the page with the full list of all the cameras.

The page on values also contains captioned photographs of cameras in the collection.

The only down side with buying this collection is that you may just get so carried away with it, that you never do anything else.