A source of inexpensive large-format cameras
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 4:42 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00
While browsing through some old bound magazines - The Amateur Photographer and Photography, 1923 - I came across the following advert.
My google-fu is not strong on this, but from what I can see, a skilled manual worker would have an income of perhaps sixty shillings a week - three pounds. A person in the professions would of course earn significantly more - but even so, these are not cheap items.
As it happens, I have a Sanderson Tropical, but in quarter-plate rather than 4x5.
Interesting to see the number of formats available - and both plates and film seemed be in common use. What is fascinating is the discussions on how many candlepower the oil-lamp for your home-made enlarger should be. So much we take for granted: then the only exposure meters used the 'pull a bit of paper out and see how long before it went dark' technique; panchromatic film not yet common; development by factorial time; cold-weather developers...
Just off to see if the time machine is working yet!
Neil
My google-fu is not strong on this, but from what I can see, a skilled manual worker would have an income of perhaps sixty shillings a week - three pounds. A person in the professions would of course earn significantly more - but even so, these are not cheap items.
As it happens, I have a Sanderson Tropical, but in quarter-plate rather than 4x5.
Interesting to see the number of formats available - and both plates and film seemed be in common use. What is fascinating is the discussions on how many candlepower the oil-lamp for your home-made enlarger should be. So much we take for granted: then the only exposure meters used the 'pull a bit of paper out and see how long before it went dark' technique; panchromatic film not yet common; development by factorial time; cold-weather developers...
Just off to see if the time machine is working yet!
Neil