1880 ' S Chapman " The British " View Camera Half Plate Wood & Leather
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:143893 |
Not even officially summer, and already it's 98° in the shade. Man, it's steamy here. Hand me another mojito, Bertrand. If I'm going to pass out, I don't want it to be from the heat.
Well, it's Memorial Day weekend here in the USA, so I'm firing up the grill and bidding farewell to cooler weather with an exceptional assortment of mechanical, technical and musical antiques. If you're like me, and you enjoy surrounding yourself with alluring, ancient and entertaining gadgetry (an...d even if you're not like me, and you don't), I suspect you'll find something in the line-up this week that you can't live without. You can also click this link to quickly add and then save me to your favorite seller list and Ebay will automatically send you updates when I put similar new auctions online.
Here's an early and excellent Chapman 1/2 plate view camera. The camera comes with its original lens, its original lens board, its original leather bellows and its original ground glass back.
With the exception of the glass lens element, the condition of the camera is excellent to near mint throughout. Supple leather bellows (still glossy and almost certainly still light tight), polished mahogany body that retains its original finish, excellent original brass hardware with no corrosion, a pristine original ground glass back, etc. Excellent brass lens barrel, with no dings or dents or other damage. Rack and pinion focusing gear moves easily, wood joints are all tight, everything is working properly. Although the lens is still capable of throwing a crisp image against the focusing plate, the glass lens element is compromised (fungus and chipping) and it is probably not suitable for high quality photography. Nonetheless, this is a beautiful English view camera in otherwise remarkable original condition.
With the front bellows extended, measures approximately 16" x 8" x 8". Lens board reverses, allowing storage of the lens inside the camera, facing the ground glass back. Shipping weight, properly packed, will be about 12 lb.
That's about it. I will pack it carefully and properly. Auction participants with no prior feedback history or with hidden feedback should contact me before placing a bid. Buyer prepays and includes shipping.
