a Century Studio Master camera from the early 1900s (December, 2007 photograph)
Toronto. … see any of deez? When photography began some enterprising folk opened studios to make and sell a ‘likeness’. People wore their Sunday best clothes and flocked to the local studio for a family portrait which was pricy but affordable which could not be said of a comparable painting.
Studios continued to exist throughout photographic history. They exist even today for that large or commemorative photo be it of an individual, family or group.
The maker of the dry plate studio camera shown at left was bought by various firms and eventually became part of Kodak’s Folmer and Schwing division. Cameras like this one labelled as made by the Century Camera Company were likely made around 1900. The desired size of the contact print or finished Daguerreotype dictated the size of the camera. These heavy, slow machines needed a sturdy stand to keep them steady.
Initially, the media of the day were painfully slow taking seconds or even minutes to receive sufficient light from the subject via the camera and lens. The Studio Master is a dry plate camera with the potential of sub-second response in bright daylight, but still seconds response in the studio setting.
The height and distance determine the subject size on the metal/glass plate. Studio cameras like the Studio Master could make smaller plates, but not larger. If you desire one of these beasts (or any other camera/lens) for your collection, be sure to visit one of the PHSC events like the coming auction or fair (see the right side bar on this web site).
