[W&B] Pearsall Folding Camera 1883

Wed Oct 31 23:15:19 EDT 2007

Hello to all who are interested in this thread about Pearsall cameras.

I had the privilege of visiting a fine camera collection this weekend,
and much to my surprise it included a Pearsall. This particular Pearsall
is unlike the GEH camera because it has a polished wood finish. I also
learned that the other Pearsall (not GEH) has a polished wood finish.
So, two of three Pearsall cameras have finished wood.  

Interestingly, the Pearsall I saw this weekend has factory notches to
accommodate a septum for stereo work - something completely unexpected.
It also has a hinged compartment inside the back and a nice maker's
badge on top of the body.

What struck me about the third camera is that it really does look like a
1890s self-casing folder on steroids but without the outer body leather
. actually vice versa since the later 1890s folders copied the Pearsall.

David . you were wondering if the camera actually reached the public.
After now tracking down three examples - each fundamentally the same but
with the usual subtle build differences one might expect from a smaller
shop - my opinion is that the cameras did sell commercially, or at least
Pearsall attempted to sell the cameras since he did advertise them.

Interesting stuff.

- Rob

-----Original Message-----
From: woodandbrass-bounces at kjsl.com
[mailto:woodandbrass-bounces at kjsl.com] On Behalf Of Rob Niederman
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 10:46 PM
To: Collectors of 19th Century Cameras &amp;Photographica
Subject: Re: [W&B] Pearsall Folding Camera 1883

David ... the GEH camera is actually in pretty good shape. It's ugly in
the sense that the wood is

painted flat black.  But I love the fact the Pearsall really *nailed*
the design concepts nearly 7

years ahead of everyone else.  The 1890s self-casing folders owe a lot
to this camera. The

internal front bellows and viewing bellows are in very good condition.
I haven't seen the camera

in the private collection, but now I'll have to shamelessly harrass the
lucky owner for a decent

image.

Okay ... here's a trivia question about the Pearsall.  What is the
singular most unusual feature

that NEVER appeared in later folders?

- Rob

> Rob and Marcel,

>

> I would enjoy reading any discussion about Pearsall here on the forum.
If not within a group

dedicated to the era of wood and brass cameras, then where?  Go on,
enlighten us!

>

> Rob, that Pearsall in the private collection, is it in substantially
better shape than the GEH

example (which is a bit of a junker)?  And is there any provenance or
history behind how and

where it was found?  I've never been convinced that the Pearsall
actually reached the public, so

it would be tremendously exciting to learn if there is any record of the
camera being purchased

by an original owner.

>

> Best wishes,

>

> David Silver--President

> International Photographic Historical Organization

> E-mail: silver at well.com  Telephone: (415) 681-4356

> Webpage location: http://www.well.com/user/silver/

>

>

> On Thu, 18 Oct 2007 rniederman at usinternet.com wrote:

>

>> Hi Marcel:

>> I would enjoy discussing Pearsall (the man and his camera) either
online (if others are

interested) or offline of this forum.  I know of two examples.  One is
in a private collection.

The other resides  in the George Eastman House.  I have closely examined
and studied the GEH

camera.  It's not a pretty camera but is  a very interesting design. -
Rob

>> -----Original Message-----

>> From:  "Marcel Safier" <msafier at ozemail.com.au>

>> Subj:  [W&B] Pearsall Folding Camera 1883

>> Date:  Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:08 pm

>> Size:  11K

>> To:  "'Collectors of 19th Century Cameras &amp;Photographica'"
<woodandbrass at kjsl.com> Rob

>>   I see mention of the Pearsall here as well as on your website about
Henry Clay cameras

>> http://www.antiquewoodcameras.com/timeline.htm.

>>   I have studied the inventor G. Frank Pearsall as he was a prominent
New York photographer and

>> nephew of Townsend Duryea an early Brooklyn daguerreotypist (started
in 1840) who came to

Australia in 1853. Pearsall trained in and then continued operating the
Duryea studio before

eventually setting up on his own. I did an entry on Duryea for the just
released Routledge

Encylopedia of 19th century Photography. The patent for the folding
camera as well as a few

other photographic inventions are available on Google patent but I can
email them to anyone if

requested. Are you able to nominate the institutions to have examples of
this camera as I would

like to get some photos of one. Anyone interest in discussing Pearsall
further is welcome to

make contact.

>>     Cheers!

>>  Marcel

>>  --

>>  Marcel Safier (Photographic Historian)

>>  PO Box 239

>>  Holland Park 4121

>>  Queensland Australia

>>  http://members.ozemail.com.au/~msafier/index.html

>>   -----Original Message-----

>>  From: woodandbrass-bounces at kjsl.com
[mailto:woodandbrass-bounces at kjsl.com] On Behalf Of Rob

>> Niederman

>>  Sent: 16 October 2007 13:14

>>  To: 'Collectors of 19th Century Cameras &amp;Photographica'

>>  Subject: RE: [W&B] Rare Scofield Camera & Blair Lucidograph

>>   <snip>

>>   The third generation would be represented by the classic
self-casing cameras of the 1890s and

>> on. The bed simply folded into the body and that was that. All parts
were enclosed and

protected without any fussing around. The Pearsall is the very first
version of this

generation, but it wasn't until the No.4 Folding Kodak that finally got
the design moving into

the right direction.

>>   <snip>

>

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