Home | Brief History | All Cameras | Tailboard Cameras | English Style Cameras | Other | Resources | Contact me | Search by Maker

Photographic Apparatus & Chemical Co., Ltd. | Traveller's Camera | Other | Whole Plate

1887/89. The Photographic Apparatus & Chemical Co. Ltd. took over from J M Copeland, at the corner of 15, Barbican, and Australian Avenue, London, from February, 1887, up to 1889, when they sold out to George Houghton for £630. In a three years trading life as camera manufacturers, listing only this Travellers' Camera and two tailboard models, it is unlikely that they would have produced large numbers of cameras, and I have never seen another one of theirs. Although it is a quite conventional George Hare pattern camera, (i.e., with the lens board supported by two long clamping screws through to the baseboard, and rack & pinion front focusing), its dovetailed-and-screwed joints and slot-aligned screw-heads indicate above average build quality. Untypically for a camera of this date, there is rising-front but no cross-front; possibly considered somewhat under-specified or old-fashioned by1887, which might explain the company's short life.

Extra photographs, where available: Click on thumbnail to open in a new page.