Collodion Direct Development Camera, from 1855–60

Unmarked, petite and elegant camera of sturdy dovetailed construction in walnut or mahogany, with brass fittings, brass-bound lens and carrying handle, probably a small-scale production by an engineering workshop specialised in the construction of scientific/laboratory apparatus, 22 x 18.5 x 10 cm. – Construction: Opening the two wings reveals a compartment with a holder for chemicals and accessories on the left and another for 17 plates of approx. 47 x 47 mm on the right. In the central compartment below the threaded ring is a standard changeable 1:14/7 cm landscape lens with a cylinder mount of 25.2 mm diameter and focusing by shifting ranges from infinity to 0.2 m. The lens features an additional swiveling aperture as well as a swiveling lid for the exposure. The landscape lens was probably originally complemented by a second, high-speed Petzval-type lens. On the sides of the camera are latches retaining a sliding tripod-holder, with two sets of four indentations, that slides directly into the base of the camera. The smallest possible dimension is the usual stereo base value; the other three are exaggerated base distances and were probably only used at the beginning of the stereo period (around 1855). The rear has a drop-flap that extends the full width of the body, covering the compartments and opening vertically in the manner of a writing desk. Folded down, this flap reveals a work surface with a raised edge on one side for holding a bowl. Inside the camera body are two sturdy brass thumb-screws on the left and the right. The wood around these screws has been ergonomically machined in such a way that the heavy screws can be operated comfortably by hand. From the middle of the top of the camera protrudes a square bar or plunger attached to a sprung clip that acts as a precision holder and reaches down below the level of the optics when the central cover is down. This plunger is easy to move and can be pulled up until the holder touches the roof of the camera interior. The holder is a significant element of the camera design, serving both as a plate-holder for variable formats – from a few millimeters up to an estimated 47 x 47 mm – and as a development-holder that can be lowered into the two baths and moved vigorously up and down, an essential technique for a streak-free collodion recording. This novel design helps solve tolerance problems; consistent accuracy occurs no matter the thickness of the glass or tin sheet. The focusing screen (now missing) may originally have had a small frame with a faceted area for more convenient mounting in the holder. Removing the loose inner back wall discloses ample traces of collodion silver on the inside. The function of the screws is concomitant with the surfaces of gutta-percha or hardened rubber for liquid-tight transport of the silver bath and the developing fluid. The silver bath carries the possibly later Swedish engraving "Sölvbad". The two rods on the right and left (the left knob is missing but replaceable) are used to move the two glass cuvettes for silvering or sensitizing the still insensitive glass / ferrotype plates. When the right rod is pulled out, the developer cuvette pushes the silver bath to the right. This process takes place under the cover, protected from light. – Note: The camera represents a little-documented stage in the evolution of rapid development techniques in early photography, whereby the processing solutions can be stored entirely within the body and transported safely under most conditions. The space-saving internal storage compartments removed the need for the bulky portable laboratory apparatus inherent in the camera of Jules Bourdin (Maison Dubroni). The construction seen here, though not identical, shares strong similarities to the work of Charles-Gustave Anthoni exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1862 (Brevet no. 66 in France, patent no. 2226 in England und no. 33230 in America). Whether this example hails from the workshop of Anthoni or one of his competitors, its construction appears rather too refined to have been used by the itinerant photographers at fairs, who typically favoured simpler and lighter ferrotype devices. Its compact form and solidity suggest possible applications on an expedition or a scientific field trip, at a time when ‘instant’ photography was still an untested concept and the sweeping success of the traveling photographer as yet unforeseeable.

布雷克拍品等级是为了方便竞买人判断拍卖品的成色而设置的。布雷克等级用1到6级来标注外观和功能的成色，(从非常好到非常差)。 在目录图册里用括号里的2个数字来表示，前一个数字表示外观成色的级别，后一个数字表示功能成色的级别。如(3/2)表示外观成色是3(满意的)，功能成色2(好)。 成色 定义参照下列标准： 1 - 非常好 (未使用过，没有使用痕迹) 2 - 好 (新，极少的使用痕迹) 3 - 满意的 (普通的使用痕迹) 4 - 及格的 (明显的使用痕迹，某个非主要部件是后配的) 5 - 有缺陷的 (极明显的使用痕迹, 某个主要部件是后配的，功能上有缺陷，需要修理) 6 - 非常差 (严重破损, 缺少重要部件)