Schultze Photo Equipment Co., New York, NY
Champion ? View Camera
6 ½
x 8 ½.
The lens board is not as well finished as the remainder of the camera,
and may therefore not be the original Schultze lens board (see second
example, below). Label on
front standard
Another example: 6 ½
x 8 ½ - identical construction to the camera above, except for the clips
holding the removable back.
Bottom
Top
Label on
front standard; below is
the assembly no. 5 stamped into the lens board.
The same size and font "5" is stamped into
the upper part of the removable back.
Stamps on the fixed extension of the
platform:
Yet another: 6 ½
x 8 ½ example - identical construction as above, except that the
removable back had been lost, and I installed a Scovill & Adams back
that I purchased without a camera that happens to have the exact
dimensions of the Schultze body.
Bottom
Top
Metal label on
the upper front standard.
Date Introduced: - ;
Years Manufactured: c. 1887?-c.
1888? Schultze sometimes
purchased cameras from other manufacturers, e.g.,
E. &
H.T. Anthony NPA. Schultze also advertised
some Scovill camera models
in its catalogs (see references below).
The lifetime of the Schultze company appears to be
rather short. Their earliest advertisement appears to be in 1887
and their latest in 1892. But Schultze also
produced (or had made for it) at least two cameras
having its own unique details of construction, and this is one of them.
While similar in size and function to
the Scovill Waterbury and other simple
tailboard cameras of the era, the
Schultze
Champion Improved is unique in detail:
the ground glass hinges upwards rather than downwards,
and the plate holder has two kerf cuts
lengthwise, which slide over splines attached to the camera back.
Only the improved version has been so far found in advertising; the
unimproved version has not been identified, but is probably one of the
Schultze unique variations, here called, for lack of its proper name,
Schultze Early View Camera, and the
Schultze Champion? View Camera. The most probable
precursor of the Champion Improved is the
Schultze Champion?, which is very similar to the
E. & H.T. Anthony Champion Variation 1B. The back of the
Schultze Champion? is virtually identical to the
Scovill Acme
View Camera. For this reason, the ending year of
manufacture of this camera is assumed to be the same as the ending year
of manufacture for the Scovill Acme. The beginning year of
manufacture for the Schultze Champion? is assigned the first year
of Schultze advertisement. References:
Back to Miscellaneous Camera Companies
This one has a black lens board that is not as well finished as the
camera body, but nevertheless is the original, having a matching
assembly no. 5 like other parts of the camera.
Note that the slots in the screws holding the brass bar are aligned - an
extra bit of work used only on the highest quality or highest priced
cameras.
Note that the slots are aligned on this part of the camera as well as on
the front, above.
Left: "S.P.E. Co., New York". Right: "5" (same assembly number as
above).
An
unmarked plate holder, undoubtedly of Schultze manufacture, that came
with and fits the camera.
Its construction is as unique as the camera it fits. The plate is
retained by tiny rotating clips.
This one has matching
assembly no. 7 in the usual spots.
Note that the slots in the screws holding the brass bar are aligned
(as are those on the others, above - an
extra bit of work used only on the highest quality or highest priced
cameras. But this brass bar does not have the fancy filing marks
as do the others.
Construction: back focus
via push-pull; no swing; reversing by
removable back; three-piece lens board
Materials: highly
figured mahogany wood body; cherry base; black fabric
and rubber bellows; brass hardware
Sizes Offered: at least
6 ½x8 ½
Notes:
Amateur Photographic Equipments, Schultze Photo Equipment Co.
(New York, NY), c. 1890, p. 19-34
Amateur Photographic Equipments, Schultze Photo Equipment Co.
(New York, NY), 1892, p. 19-34
