Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Co., Rochester, New York, NY
Wizard View Variation 3
Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Co. Catalog, 1903, p. 40 5 x 7 5x7 Stereo Date Introduced: - ;
Years Manufactured: c. 1903
- c. 1909 In 1899, Manhattan Optical
made the front focus only
Wizard
View Variation 1 and the back focus only
Wizard View
Variation 2. They were replaced, by the time the 1903
catalog was printed, with the
Wizard View
Variation 3, which has both front and back rack and pinon focus.
Variation 4,
also a front and back focus model, appeared about 1909. It differs
from Variation 3 in that it has a ground glass frame that admits
the plate holder using four complex spring clips. The 1909
reference below mentions an improved spring back which undoubtedly
refers to this mechanism. The Wizard Variation 4 also came
with two planks of wood that slide into retaining clips that are inlet
into the bottom of the base (see above photos of the bottom with its
planks). The purpose of the planks, according to the 1909
reference below, appears to be to brace the already fairly rigid bed of
all cameras larger than 5x7. Stereo Variation 3: The only
difference between the single-lens 5x7 (top example) and the same set up
for stereo (bottom example) appears to be the the stereo version has two
clips to hold in the lens board rather than one - and, of course, the
nifty stereo lenses & shutter and the stereo septum (in the center
interior of the bellows) necessary to take stereo pairs. The
lenses supplied with stereo are unmarked wide angle rapid rectilinear
lenses. These were undoubtedly made by Gundlach-Manhattan Optical
Co., as the very first products of the Gundlach Optical Co., long before
merging with Manhattan, were lenses. For some reason, there are
two series of nomenclature for the aperture setting: the four f-stops
between f22 and f64 are marked with arbitrary numbers 1 through 5, which
scale is also marked W.A. These arbitrary numbers may correspond
to some simplified instructions, something along the lines of "the
setting for a sunny day is lens opening #4", possibly to be used when
auxiliary wide angle lenses are put on the fronts of the objectives.
Such auxiliary lenses had begun to be offered c.1900, specially made for
the lenses that came on leather-covered, hand and stand cameras, whose
target purchaser was more interested in the photos than the process of
photography References:
Back to Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Co.
Construction: front and
rear focus via rack and pinion (two gear
tracks on top of base rails); double swing; shifting front,
reversing by removable back; detachable rear
extension
Materials: mahogany body, cherry base,
nickeled brass hardware, red leather bellows
Sizes Offered: 4x5, 5x7, 6 ½x8 ½, 8x10
Notes:
1903 Koronas, Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Co., (Rochester, NY)
Catalog, 1903, p. 40
Korona Cameras, Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Co. (Rochester, NY),
Jan 1 1906, pp. 21-22
Korona Cameras, Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Co. (Rochester, NY),
1907
Korona Cameras, Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Co. (Rochester, NY),
1908
Prices of Photographic Supplies and Chemicals
1908-1909, Ralph Harris & Co. (Boston,
MA), 1908
