Serial Number: Cam0087
Type:
Triple Imperial Field Camera
Manufacturer:
Thornton-Pickard
Country of Origin:
Britain
Production Period:
1890 - 1907
Approximate Price:
USD 1,400.00
Reference:
camerapedia.wikia.com
Status: Display
Description:
Thornton-Pickard was a well
known British camera manufacturer established
in 1888. The company was based in Altrincham,
near Manchester, and was an early pioneer in the
development of the camera industry. The Thornton-Pickard company was founded by John
Edward Thornton and Edgard Pickard. The company moved to a new factory at Broadheath,
Altrincham in 1891. The innovative “Time &
Instantaneous” shutter was designed and patented by Thornton in 1892. This shutter design was
also licensed to a number of other camera makers.
Some early cameras produced by the company
included the “Ruby” and “Amber” models.
The successful “Imperial Triple Extension” model
was introduced in 1913, and continued in production until the 1930s. During the First World War,
the company produced a number of cameras for
military use, including the Mark III Hythe Gun
Camera. In 1921, the company merged with several others to form the Amalgamated Photographic
Manufacturers. Throughout the 1920s and 30’s,
the company found it increasingly difficult to
complete with cheaper imported cameras, and
ceased trading in 1939.
The Ruby is a wooden folding field camera from about
1890 - 1907. Intended for use on a tripod, the folding
bed includes a turntable. The design was changed to
make the camera also usable as a hand camera.
Mckeown states that the camera has “Ruby” Rapid-Rectilinear Lens. This is mounted on a Thornton-Pickard roller-blind on the front standard.
This camera were popular with outdoor photographers in the first quarter of the twentieth century. One
of the main reasons for this was the way the large
camera was designed to fold down into a compact
unit. The camera, lens, plates and cloth for placing
over the photographers head all fitted into the accompanying leather case. The camera was made of high
quality wood with brass fittings to withstand travelling
conditions. This made it a heavy set of camera equipment to carry long distances when accompanied by
the wooden tripod.
