A Ross Portable Divided Camera from the late John Kantymir collection
Toronto. Camera makers could design a camera that used a lens to view and a second one to capture the scene, but did not know how to name the design. The term “divided camera’ fell flat and the term ‘reflex’ or ‘twin lens’ took over.
In his column “A Treasure from my Collection”, the late John Kantymir features a Ross Portable Divided Camera, made to improve upon then current designs.
John begins his story, “This camera is one of the early reflex cameras to come on the market. Its name even denotes that early part of photographic history as they used the name “Divided Camera” before the word “reflex” came into common use for such cameras. The name did not last as it was later designated the “Portable Twin Lens Camera.”
“Many people visit my coin shop in Niagara Falls and it was through one such American tourist that I learned of an 80 year old gentleman in Pennsylvania who was clearing out his home. I soon made contact and negotiated a price for this late nineteenth-century beauty. I bought it about four years ago, a year after my Dad died. I’m sure he would have been proud to add it to our collection.
“The camera is horizontal in format so it was designed for scenics rather that portraiture. In Michael Auer’s book The Illustrated History of the Camera, he describes the later model as “designed especially for lady photographers, being light and reasonably compact when the front was retracted and the double doors closed.” I think it was easier to look through the reflex viewer rather than fumble under a photographer’s dark cloth and mess up a lady’s hatted coiffure.”
Members continued the story in issue 38-3 of our journal, or more recently on the DVD mailed to all members. The DVD covers all Photographic Canadiana volumes from 1 through 40. Not a member? Well that is a snap to correct! Just go to the right sidebar or the menu item MEMBERSHIP above and sign up. Your DVD will be on its way via Canada Post.
Drop by the trunk sale this month and you may find a camera (possibly like this one) for your collection!
