[LargeFormat] identity & date of old cameras

[Joseph O'Neil]

Hi all;
	Here's a bit of history & trivia for all of you, maybe somebody can 
help.  Take a look here:
http://www.science-tech.nmstc.ca/english/temp/IHP7431.jpg

	A museum in Vancouver, Canada is trying to date this pciture.  Best guess 
is Europe (UK?), mid 1880s.  I got this message of an astornomy mailing 
list I am on.

	But the real kicker for me is the two, old, large format cameras beign 
used.  One is mounted opposite the eyepeice, the oterh is mounted on the 
counterweight shaft.

	What really got my notice is about 20years ago, i aquirted two older, 
large format cameras.  One was definately used for astro-photo work, but 
the other, I only has suspicisons, no "proof".

	Well the camera on the counterweight is a twin for one i have.  Slightly 
longer lens & box (mine is a wide angle ROss lens),b ut the design is the 
same.  You see,  the camera I have has no bellows, and is set for infinity 
in a fixed, wooden box.  Commercial manufacture, not a home made camera, 
which puzzled me.  You can focus it slightly by use of a helical focus 
mechaism not seen until you are right up on top of it, but there is not 
enough focus travel to vary far from an infinity focus.  Some people at the 
time suggested it was used for only landscape work (which is possible), but 
until I saw this picture today, I never really knew.

	Anyhow - here's the long shot - can anyone identify by any means  the date 
and palce of this pciture?  Secondly, can anyoen help me date an old 
English made, brass Ross lens.    I think my camera dates from the same 
time period as this photograph was made, so this might be an outside chance 
at  narrowing down a date.
thanks
joe






	
http://www.oneilphoto.on.ca
http://www.multiboard.com/~joneil
Una salus victis, nullam sperare salutem