# Thornton Pickard Focal Plane Imperial Two Shutter Camera



## IanG (Aug 23, 2019)

Still to arrive:






An early version of the Focal Plane Imperial, essentially the same as a Triple Imperial but with a Focal Plane shutter as well as a Between Lens front mounted shutter. Made between about 1907 and 1914.

This will be my next restoration project, the front shutter works but I'll fit a new blind anyway, and also restore the rear shutter, until I take the shutter to bits I won't know whether it;s the 1907 or 1908 version. The 1907 version has a one slit Focal Plane shutter with  speeds of 1/100 to 1/500. the 1908 has 1/20 to 1/1000 and has three slits.

Should be fun to restore.

Ian


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## Jeff15 (Aug 23, 2019)

What an interesting looking piece of kit..................


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## webestang64 (Aug 23, 2019)

Love those oldies!!! So elegant.


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## Heidi Rosser (Sep 26, 2019)

Can't wait to see the restored version.  Looks like fun.


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## IanG (Sep 26, 2019)

Actually I've already restored a Thornton Pickard Imperial which is just waiting for new bellows.  The camera here is a Triple Extension Imperial, the other has double extension which is the more typical standard.

Triple Extension with this half plate Imperial is 222", that equates approx to 3x a typical standard focal length  lens for the format.. I have various brass lenses but the most appropriate is a Thornton Pickard Beck RR, and I also have tripod legs.

I also have a few TP Ruby Reflex cameras, however I mostly go for Houghton/Ensign equipment

Ian


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## Heidi Rosser (Sep 26, 2019)

I have a battered Thornton Field Camera being sent from my sister in the UK. From the images I’ve seen it looks like it comes with spiders webs and all sorts. I do hope she removed the bugs so it does not get caught in customs.
Will be restoring that once I’ve had a good look at what it is.
Looks like the bellows would be beyond repair, but I managed to acquire two nice original bellow sets in a box of junk I bought, which turned out to be a good box of stuff.


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## vintagesnaps (Sep 26, 2019)

I'm a little familiar with Thornton Pickard and Houghton Ensign but never see those here. 

I wonder what would happen with a spider going thru customs?! lol D'ya think they'd scan it or whack it going thru a metal detector?


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## Heidi Rosser (Sep 26, 2019)

They are insanely strict at customs here in New Zealand. When we moved here we had to scrub all our shoes a garden tools. Weren't even allowed to bring our Christmas decs.  I do hope she removed any critters or I could end up with a bill for fumigation.


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