Unknown Manufacturer

 

Counterfeit Blair Camera Co. Reversible Back Improved Variation 2

 

 

5 x 7"

Bottom

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Date Introduced: - ; Years Manufactured: c.1890's
Construction: front focus via rack and pinion (two gear tracks on top of base rails); at least single swing; reverse by means of removable back
Materials: mahogany body and platform base; originally black fabric bellows (replaced with red leather); nickeled brass hardware
Sizes Offered: at least 5x7
Notes:

What is this camera and who made it?

Manufactured or one of a kind?

     The wood finish is very thin, but that is as it was made. The camera has very little wear.

     The wood joints in this camera are rabbet joints (standards) and tongue and groove (platform and back). They have been made with precision jigs indicating that this is one of a number of manufactured cameras rather than single camera made by a craftsman. However, all large manufacturer of the era would have used box joints for the joints in the standards.

     Likewise, the thumbscrews, inset tracks and other metal parts suggest manufacture of multiple cameras.

     It therefore appears to have been manufactured; however, the manufacturer is not one that is known from catalogs or other advertising.

Features that look like known manufacturers' products:

     The bottom of the front standard consists of solid blocks of metal which have machined slots. The slots ride on metal rails inlet into the outside edges of the platform. This design is used by several Blair Camera Co. models. Such as the Champion Variation 1, Champion Variation 2, Champion RB Improved, Cincinnati RB Improved Var. 3.5, Combination RB Improved Variation 2 and Variation 2.5, and Reversible Back Improved Variation 1, Variation 2 and Variation 3. Blair is the only company to manufacture using that construction.

     The wooden widened bottoms of the front standard are reinforced with sheets of metal, as in the Blair Camera Co. Cincinnati RB Improved Var. 3.5 and the Reversible Back Improved Variation 1 and Variation 2. Again, no other manufacturer uses such wide bottoms or such reinforcements.

     Also at the bottom of the front standard are two-thumbscrews that operated the focus - one to move the front standard and the other to lock the position. Double thumbscrew arrangements are found on numerous Blair Camera Co. front focus cameras. Each of the thumbscrews has an indent running around its knurled surface, as do genuine Blair thumbscrews, although they are not identical to Blairs.

     A fourth unique Blair Camera Co. design found on many models is the spring release for the camera back located at the top center of the rear standard.

     The back of the camera has a deep channel into which a plate holder may be inserted. The depth of the channel allows the spring-loaded ground glass frame to ride up and over the plate hold, thereby not getting lost or broken, as do many removable or hinged ground glass frames. This design is found in early American Optical/Scovill Mfg. Co. models, such as the Acme View (Cone View) Variation 1, Elm City View (that is my guess as to what the Elm City model is), all variations of the Flammang's Revolving Back Cameras, the Manifold Camera, and the St. Louis View Camera Variation 1 and Variation 2.

     Rather than having metal supports for the rear standard, this camera's supports are made of wood, with some metal where wear would be expected. These are similar to the Ak Sar Ben (probably made by the R, Dempster, Omaha, NE).

     The ground glass frame has triangular-shaped pieces of sheet having ~½" holes at each corner to hold the ground glass. These are similar to triangular sheet metal corners used by E. & H.T. Anthony on their Long Focus Clifton, Compact Late Style (as depicted in the catalog - the example of the Compact Late Style has a different ground glass retaining system), Normandie Variation 1, Reversible Back Camera (as depicted in the catalog), and Vincent models. The corners on this counterfeit camera aren't actual Anthony corners, though, since the Anthony example corners have small holes in addition to their large hole.

Conclusions:

     While one or another of the features of this camera resemble a feature of a Scovill, Anthony or Dempster made camera, many features of this camera resemble those present in Blair cameras, and of the Blair models, this camera is closest to the Blair Camera Co. Reversible Back Improved Variation 2. It could not have been actually made by Blair, even though Blair changed even its established models to such an extent that it seems that no two examples of a Blair model are exactly alike, because its Blair-like features are not identical to those on genuine Blairs. However, it may be considered a Counterfeit Blair Camera Co. Reversible Back Improved Variation 2.

Other Notes:

    

References:
 

 

 

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