Name that camera (Result! Optimus Economic Portable by Perken, son and Rayment)

AnalogueWendy

AnalogueWendy

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This is a new addition to my fleet. It's coming with me for a big debut next weekend and still has no name!
Most of my cameras are just known by their maker and model - they all have nice names - and this one is anonymous so far.
Half-plate field camera. Modern tripod fitting (Yay!) Unbranded brass lens.
It arrived with 3 very lovely unused wooden book-form plate holders and a shutter marked 'The Swift'. (Also a dark cloth and an incredibly spindly tripod that has gone straight to the back of a cupboard). It has been carefully loved and cared for.
Bellows are more brown than red, and definitely square cornered. Camera has had some use, but not much.
No ebony corner ties and a square lens board.
Any suggestions about the maker?
 

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AnalogueWendy said:
This is a new addition to my fleet. It's coming with me for a big debut next weekend and still has no name!
Most of my cameras are just known by their maker and model - they all have nice names - and this one is anonymous so far.
Half-plate field camera. Modern tripod fitting (yay!) Unbranded brass lens.
It arrived with 3 very lovely unused wooden book-form plate holders and a shutter marked 'The Swift'. (Also a dark cloth and an incredibly spindly tripod that has gone straight to the back of a cupboard). It has been carefully loved but not used.
Bellows are more brown than red, and definitely square cornered. Camera has had some use, but not much.
No ebony corner ties and a square lens board.
Any suggestions about the maker?
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It's quite beautiful. As I looked at, a bit of whimsy suggested you name it "Minion":

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It's a fairly generic design, so probably a lesser known manufacturer. It's not a Perken & Son camera, the fittings are wrong, particularly the rear standard adjustment. The major issue was the folding front standard, there were so many patented designs. I have similar cameras, this one has brass guide rails for the rear standard positioning.

In the 1890s you could buy cameras in kit form, these were sold to retailers. Lonsdale's were one supplier, you could buy all the parts, or even finished un-branded cameras.

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Ian
 
soupdragon said:
Desiree is a type of potato.
Chesty Larue might be more appropriate.
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I knew a lass called Desiree when I was at Uni. She did often go by Dizzi instead, perhaps because the name was just too apt - one of the most stunning girls I've ever met.
 
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The problem with identifying cameras like this is the design is so simple. Gandolfi had worked for Perkenm so had Watson. Lonsdale were not far from Perken.

Ian
 
Ian Grant said:
It's a fairly generic design, so probably a lesser known manufacturer. It's not a Perken & Son camera, the fittings are wrong, particularly the rear standard adjustment. The major issue was the folding front standard, there were so many patented designs. I have similar cameras, this one has brass guide rails for the rear standard positioning.

In the 1890s you could buy cameras in kit form, these were sold to retailers. Lonsdale's were one supplier, you could buy all the parts, or even finished un-branded cameras.

View attachment 4740

View attachment 4742

View attachment 4739

View attachment 4741

Ian
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These catalogue pages are fascinating, Ian. Imagine if we caould buy parts this way nowadays.
My new half-plate could be a Lonsdale 'York' looking at these. but the back standard hinge/supports still do not look quite right.
 
Interesting . . . and I'm no closer to a name. Given Ian's suggestion above I might call it 'Perken-Warbeck'.
I doubt it's a Gandolfi (although who knows) and it was certainly hidden away for a few decades.

A picture, for your amusement, of a VERY windswept, fairly cold photographer entertaining the crowd on Saturday.
 

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Another problem with identification is that sometimes the engraver doesn’t quite understand the mechanisms and amalgamates or divides components incorrectly.
 
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