Camera Case and Accessories

Camera case containing three dark slides and a plate adapter camera back with one dark slide, made by Thornton Pickard Limited.

The camera case is often an essential piece of photography equipment, particularly in the past, when cameras and their accessories were often quite bulky and inconvenient. Until roll film became common, many cameras took images on glass plates, which were delicate and needed to be protected from the light until they were developed to make photographs. Cameras themselves were often quite fragile, awkward to carry and heavy.

This camera carrying case, dating from around 1905-15, was manufactured by Thornton-Pickard, a camera manufacturer founded in Manchester in 1888, but based in Altrincham from 1891. Thornton-Pickard provided a wide range of carrying cases like this one, made of waterproof fabric and designed to hold the camera and accessories safely. This example is complete with three slides to hold photographic plates and a plate adapter.