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allowed, through the use of special darkslides, which
was essentially the selective uncovering or manipulation
of some of the camera’s multiple lenses via different
poses, a different effect on the plate. F. R. Window’s
Diamond Cameo camera of 1864 allowed cameo sized
photographs to be made on one plate by vertically and
laterally moving the darkslide. The 1890s craze for
stamp photographs lead to cameras with up to 15 lenses
and repeating backs that could allow many images to be
exposed on to one plate.
Multiple lens studio cameras were fi rst introduced
in 1855 in America when Albert R. Southworth was
granted a patent for a four-lens camera, French and Brit-
ish manufacturers quickly produced their own designs
with the most popular style producing four 2 × 3¼ inch
negatives on a whole plate. Lancaster’s Gem camera
produced 12 1-inch square negatives on a quarter-plate.
Fallowfi eld and other manufacturers produced cameras
with four, nine or twelve lenses for meeting the demand
for popular sizes of photograph. These cameras would
either make one identical image through each lens on
the sensitised plate, especially where six or more lenses
were being used, or various methods were employed,
notably the repeating back, so that different images
could be exposed one or more lenses. The resultant plate
was usually contact printed and the paper print with the
multiple portraits cut up and mounted.
The distinction between amateur and professional
or between studio or portable cameras was not clear
and manufacturers such as W. Rouch would frequently
advertise cameras as: ‘New Folding Studio and Field
camera. The most useful and portable instrument for
both Amateur or Professional use, use aiming to maxi-
mise the market for their product.
The other important addition that the studio camera
had was the reducing back which allowed the camera
to make negatives smaller than the maximum plate size
through smaller plate holders that fi tted the camera and
either a smaller focusing screen or, more usually, the
full-size focusing screen marked with the smaller plate
sizes. The use of full-size plate holders with reducing
inserts for smaller plate sizes also allowed smaller nega-
tives to be made where necessary. George Hare’s Uni-
versal camera was advertised in 1874 as being ‘adapted
for the Single or Double Cartes-de-Visite, for Half or
Whole-plate Portraits, for the new Cabinet Pictures, and
can be used for Copying.’
The studio camera also encouraged the production of
accessories for it. The studio stand was an essential part
of the camera and ranged from basic fi xed tripods with
extra strengthening and a top for support the camera to
elaborate tables with shelves and adjustments. All were
mounted on wheels. The darkcloth was essential to aid
focusing. The fashion for vignetting in the 1870s lead
to special attachments to be added to the front of the
camera and by the late nineteenth century shutters would
be mounted inside the camera and operated by an air or
mechanical release set into the camera.
Michael Pritchard
See Also: Cartes-de-Visite; Cabinet Cards; and
Daguerreotype.Further Reading
Coe, Brian, Cameras. From daguerreotype to Instant Pictures,
London, Marshall Cavendish, 1978.
Patents for Invention. Abridgments of Specifi cations. Class 98.
Photography 1855–1900, London, His Majesty’s Stationary
Offi ce.
Simpson, G. Wharton, The Year-Book of Photography and
Photographic News Almanac 1874, London, Piper & Carter,
1874.
Smith, R. C., Antique Cameras, Newton Abbot, David & Charles,
1975.CAMERA DESIGN: 5 PORTABLE HAND
CAMERAS (1880–1900)
Whilst a small number of cameras designed to be hand-
held had appeared as early as the 1850s, such camerasCAMERA DESIGN: 5 PORTABLE HAND CAMERAS
Falk, Benjamin J. Wilfred Draycoff. Actor posing with a large
format camera.
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles © The J. Paul Getty
Museum.