# Unknown camera?



## Tesla60 (Oct 13, 2015)

I bought recently several unknown falling plate type cameras. all three have no markings on them asside from ussual things like F numbers Shutter speeds and what look like serial numbers. I want to post one at a time so this is the first one. other than that it has 3 lenses that can be removed from the inside of the door and attached to the front of the main one. the view finders have covers that can be opened as well as the attached lens cap (closed in the pictures) it has 3 speeds a time and instant mode as well as a dial for changing the stops. So the question really is what is it? I would have to take a guess at it being not from the USA and maybe from the UK but I can't be certan. one of the others has similer features so I would have to guess its from the same maker. the third on the other hand is compleatly diffrent. I will try and get photos of them too so i can try and figure out what they really are.


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## Dany (Oct 14, 2015)

The falling plate cameras, also called "detective cameras" are very often "no name" cameras. I have some specimen on my shelves that I never could identify. despite long searches in books as McKeown.
The camera shown  seems to be a top of the range. Most of detective cameras do not propose any  choice vetween different shutter speeds and your camera seems to show location for storing close up additional lenses (3, 5, 9 FT) which is a very rare feature on this type of camera.


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## vintagesnaps (Oct 14, 2015)

I'm not particularly familiar with these but there's info. about them on a couple of websites I've used. Cool camera.

htttp://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/g_chap.html

Historic and Antique Camera Collector Resource and home of the Historic Camera Collector Club  Try searching detective under cameras.


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## Tesla60 (Oct 19, 2015)

Thank you for posting the above links. I have managed to nail down what maker that camera is from. in addition to the 2 other cameras I have. The camera photographed above seems to be some model of "Ilex camera works" camera from maybe 1890-1900 abouts I dont know what model it is but looking at some of the featurs of the camera I think thats what it is. as well as one of the others. the one that differs is apparently a W. butcher and sons camera of an unknown model. all three of these are apparently from london.


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