3. Large Folding Box Camera, c. 1855

Signed on ivory plaque: 'A. ROSS LONDON.'

Beautifully-made folding camera of mahogany and brass for plates 250 x 250 mm. The sides fold inwards during transport making a very compact parcel. The body is made rigid by slotting the lens panel and ground glass screen into place. The dark slide can be put at four different distances (280 mm, 340 mm, 400 mm or 450 mm) from the lens. The lens panel has horizontal and vertical movement, and there is one single and one double, book-form, dark slide of usual design.

The camera is supplied with two lenses, both made by Ross. The smaller (no. 1536) is a 70 mm diameter plano-convex singlet landscape lens of 420 mm focal length. The second lens (no. 1530) is a massive doublet portrait lens of 80 mm diameter but with a 63 mm stop inserted inside the lens hood. This lens has a focal length of 340 mm, its front element has a focal length of 460 mm, and its back component with airspace has a focal length of 710 mm. The camera and lenses are in three separate carrying cases.

Length 490 mm, width 295 mm, height 245 mm.
Inventory nos 92,724; 71,055; 95,583.