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Stirn's 'America' Detective Camera

1889

Ticka camera

1901-1911

'Ticka' Watch Camera

1908
Fieldglass-case detective camera. No makers name. Wooden camera for rollfilm, 3 1/2 x 2 1/2" pictures. Simple lens, two apertures in rotating quadrant. T/I shutter (faulty). Optical frame finder. Overall: 88 mm x 175 mm x 155 mm.

Fieldglass-case detective camera

1894
Book form detective camera opening to triangular shape. Lens at apex- simple; shutter faulty. Takes 3 3/4" rollfilm. Patents by H A Benedict, US 478837, July 12 1892, 493747 March 21st 1893. No. 56 (M 2680)

Improved Pocket Kosy camera

1893
Protype box-type rollfilm camera for 80mm wide roll film 95 x 80mmm. 'Parcel' or 'Tombosa' camera. Fitted with a rapid rectilinear lens, sliding plate with three apertures sliding focusing uncalibrated, rotating shutter, adjustable tension, single reflecting finder, film wound without backing paper, friction roller, indicates correct windon., pressure plate pinched by lever to be slackened when winding off. Camera covered with cardboard case with apertures for controls, lens, etc. Surrounded by leather straps and carrying handle, to resemble brown paper parcel. Henry N B Good of Devises. 1889. Never produced commercially.

Tombosa Detective Camera

1889
Bookfrom detective camera - Kosy. Bookshaped leather covered camera opening to V shape. Rollfilm 3 3/4" wide. Winding key missing. Simple lens three apertures in sliding plate. T?I shutter. Reflecting finder.

Bookform detective camera - Kosy

Prototype detective roll film camera made by H.N.B. Good at Devizes, Wiltshire, 1889

Prototype detective roll film camera made by H.N.B. Good at Devizes

1889
Stirn detective camera, c. 1886. Designed by C P Stirn, DRP No. 38391, serial no. 9912, German. With contact print of six views of the Acropolis at Athens, Greece (April 1889) in pass partout frame.

Stirn Detective Camera

1886
Photo-Etui-Jumelle (detective) camera, 1/4-plate, folding to represent field glasses, 1891

Photo-Etui-Jumelle (Detective) Camera

1891
Fallowfield "Facile" 1/4-plate magazine detective hand camera, c.1890. Miall's patent 4181.

Fallowfield "Facile" Detective Hand Camera

1888
Circular detective camera for 15cm diameter glass plates, six pictures 4cm pictures, Fitted with a rapid rectilinear lens, fixed aperture and focus, rotary shutter cocked by winding knob, released by pulling string. Plated finish no 6738. Sold by J. Robinson & Sons, 172 Regent Street London. C.P. Stirn.

Stirn waistcoat camera

Watch form detective camera for 18mm wide rollfilm 25 exposures, 22 x 17mm. Simple lens, fixed focus and aperture, sliding shutter T/I self capping. Lens in "winding stem" with cap attached by chain, as accessory automatic exposure counter. Houghtons Limited, c.1906

Ticka detective camera

1901-1911
Photo-Jumelle detective plate camera. Jules Carpentier, Paris. Sold by Photographic Association, 16 Brook Street, Hanover Square, W. Field-glass form magazine plate camera for 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 plates - 17 plateholders in changing back, worked by pulling and pushing rod. Taking lens F. Krauss, Paris Zeiss anastigmat No. 16652, F:110mm, f8. Iris calibrated 11-2 units. Single speed shutter with dashpot device calibrated 1-5 for slower speeds. Viewing lens image seen through red window. Screw focusing inf.-1.5m. No.6919-3. (M2400)

Photo-Jumelle Binocular Camera

1905
Watch form detective camera for 18mm wide rollfilm 25 exposures, 22 x 17mm. Simple lens, fixed focus and aperture, sliding shutter T/I self capping. Lens in "winding stem" with cap attached by chain brilliant reflecting finder, as accessory automatic exposure counter. Houghtons Limited, c.1906

Ticka Detective Camera

1901-1911
Ticka watch camera, manufactured by Houghtons Ltd., London. Watch form camera for rollfilm in cassettes, 17.5mm wide 16 x 22mm. Fitted with a simple lens in watch winding stem with cap on chain, cylindrical shutter not self capping, single speed, time. With postcards of sample pictures filed. Overall: 24 mm x 57 mm (dia.).

Ticka watch camera

1906
Scoville 'Waterbury' detective camera. Box camera for 5 x 4 inch plates. Fitted with a rapid rectilinear lens with two circular stops f/15 and f/20. Rotary shutter with adjustable tension. Level focusing. Single reflecting finder, focusing screen in spring back storage space underneath room for double darkslide. Patented Oct. 16 1888. c.1889. Manufactured by Scoville Mfg. Co., USA. Overall: 190 mm x 192 mm x 186 mm.

Scoville Detective Camera

1884-1894
Magazine detective camera to contain 18 circular films, 1 5/8" diameter, mounted on gunstock, by Sands & Hunter, (on brass stand), c. 1885. With brass display stand (made by Science Museum workhops, 1930).

Magazine Detective Camera

1885
Leather covered 1/4 plate, 'Miall' Hand detective camera by Fallowfield, Charing Cross Road, London, with plate box for 12 plates, 1892.

Leather Covered 'Miall' Hand Detective Camera

1892
'Academy No.1' small plate camera, for plates 1 1/4" square by Marion, 1884

'Academy No.1' Small Plate Camera

1884
Despatch Detective folding camera in "box" case by London Stereoscopic Company, 106 & 108 Regent Street and 54 Cheapside, London c. 1888.

Despatch Detective Folding Camera in "Box" Case

1888
'Magic Photoret' pocket watch detective camera for 2 inch diameter circular film, six exposures, 12 x 12mm. Pinhole lens rotating shutter, single speed, hole for pin stop as for time exposure, Circular film held in back of camera front rotates to six positions. Patents July 25th 1893 Nov 28. 1893. Magic introduction company. 1894.

'Magic Photoret' detective camera

1894
Stirn 'waistcoat' camera. Manufactured by C P Stirn, Photographische Camera DRP 38391. Circular metal camera for 14cm diameter plate, taking 6 exposures 4cm diameter. RR type lens c.F45mm fixed aperture focus. Rotating plate shutter tensioned by plate windon knob. Shutter release to take cord. Neck strap. Back retained by single knob. Brown enamel finish. No. 5119.

Stirn Waistcoast Detective Camera

1890-1900
Photo-Jumelle detective plate camera. Jules Carpentier; sold by Photographic Association, 16 Brook Street, Hanover Square London, W. Field-glass form camera for 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch plates in magazine back with 18 plateholders. Plates changed by pulling and pushing rod. Taken lens Zeis Anastigmat by E Krauss, Paris, Serial No 18755, F:110mm, f8-45. Single speed shutter, pneumatic release valve, Screw focusing inf-1.5m. Viewfinder lens image seen through red window. Serial No 6982-4. In leather case.

Photo-Jumelle Binocular Camera

1905
Expo watch camera. T?I shutter, not self capping - lens cap used. Fitted with a simple lens of fixed aperture and focus. Automatic exposure counter. Manufactured by Expo Camera Co., New York. Identical to Ticka camera. Overall: 24 mm x 58 mm (dia.).

Expo watch camera

1905
Magazine plate camera in form of book, for 38 x 38mm plates. Lens missing, guillotine shutter with tension adjusting knob, plate carried in metal holder then pushed from upper compartment into focal plane and then into the lower compartment by sliding rod. Number on plate holder back visible through red window. No 1742. Marion & Co, 1934. Invented by Dr Rudolf Krugener.

Kruegener's Patent Book Camera No 1510

1884-1894
Photo-Jumelle binocular camera, 1894. Made in France by J.Carpentier. for the London Stereoscopic Co., 106-108 Regent Street, London W. Field glass type detective camera for 45 x 60mm plates, Krauss Zeiss anastigmat lens F:85mm f/6.3 NO.10011 fixed aperture and focus. Sliding shutter, single speed, matching view finder lens where image is observed through red window on the rear. Rod operated push-pull plate magazine with automatic exposure counter, No 6311 - 11 shutter no 22351.

Photo-Jumelle Binocular Camera, 1894

1894
The Pullman camera. Bellows camera in leather box, detective style, for 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 plates. Rapid rectilinear lens f/8-64. Benetfink supplied Thornton Pickard Time & Inst shutter 15/30/45/75/90/T behind lens, Reg No 211201. With leather lens cap. Sliding rising front. Rack and pinion focusing using removable key stored inside case. Reflecting viewfinder missing from baseboard. Vertical swing back, ground glass screen. Manufactured by J Levi & Co London. Retailed by Benet..., Cheapside, London.

The Pullman Detective Camera

circa 1896
Magazine box camera for 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 inch plates. Fitted with an achromatic lens, fixed aperture and focus, Lancaster seesaw shutter reflecting viewfinder, plates in frame holders (12), carried horizontally in upper compartment, transferred to focal plane by tilting base to compartment, after exposure moved to back of camera behind flexible wooden shutter. Lancaster, 1893.

Rover Detective camera

1893