On Tuesday, March 7, I picked up a new camera: a Billcliff large format wood camera with a Ross Rapid Symmetrical lens and one book-style plate holder that will take two exposures up to 8″ x 10″ in size.
I don’t know much about the camera or the lens other than what I have been able to find online in the last few days (update 3/13/11: and through contact with photography historian, Dr. Michael Pritchard, and the curator of Early Photography). Here is what I know. If you know more and/or have corrections, please share with a comment. I’m also sure that I’m not using the correct terms and names of the various parts, so please include those corrections, as well. My ultimate goals are to know the history of this camera and to be able to use it one day (soon).
Manufacturer
Joshua Billcliff (1820-1899) of Manchester, England
Update 3/30/11: Some digging around the Archives and Local Studies section of the Manchester Public Library web site led me to this portrait of Billcliff taken by J.F. Stirling on June 5, 1843 (used with permission):
