Wet-Plate Test Camera for Circular Images, c. 1870

Probably of French or Swiss origin. The actual camera body is missing; it consisted of a thin connecting plate, approx. 10.5 mm thick, which was never recognized as part of a camera by later generations and therefore went missing. For reconstruction: This plate connected the conical brass lens mount to the wet plate studio cassette. The cassette holders were attached to the sides of this plate, and possibly, to balance the weight, a T-shaped piece was glued to the bottom of the plate as a base. A ??mounting ring of at least 124 mm diameter must have been attached to this plate. What remains: The cassette for 125 x 125 mm plates, with outer dimensions of 16.1 cm height and 16.0 cm width, and a 3 x 17.6 cm light-tight cover. The brass lens is unmarked (front lens with some cementing errors) and a Petzval type, approx. 3.4/14 cm, with an early, removable front aperture diaphragm (a set of diaphragms must have been supplied), but without a Waterhouse stop. A focusing range of 41 mm is possible (one screw is missing). At infinity, the image circle is 85 mm in diameter; at close range, it reaches exactly 114 mm (without the vignetting front diaphragm), which corresponds to the thread diameter on the lens mount. – In addition: A very early, large brass shutter by Thury & Amey, Geneva, serial no. 1173, for a lens diameter of approx. 54 mm; it is functional.

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)