Ensign Special Reflex plate camera.
Houghton Butcher Manufacturing Co.
Category
Photographic technology
Date
1908 - 1930
Materials
Wood, Leather, Glass, Metal
Measurements
188 x 188 x 185 mm
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Fox Talbot Museum, Wiltshire
NT 1524843
Summary
Ensign Special Reflex plate camera. Lens, DOGMAR 1;4.5, F-16, 5 cm Plate size 3 1/2 by 4 1/2in. It is a large wooden-bodied box-form SLR camera with a self-capping focal-plane shutter. The top folding leather focusing hood lifts to view the ground-glass screen at the top of the body, but it can also be used as a view camera, with a second ground-glass screen fitted to the back. The lens is mounted on a wooden plate with limited front rise mechanism securred by a thumb screw. A lever on the lens enables focusing from 2 yards to infinity, it is also focused using black leather bellows operated by a knob on the left side. The body is covered in black leather and has a leather carrying handle on one side. The front plate carries a metal plaque bearing " ENSIGN SPECIAL REFLEX. Made in England by The Houghton Butcher MFG CO, LONDON". The lens covering flap is missing. The right hand side has a shutter speed knob allowing speeds from 1000 to 15 and TIME. A second knob alows selection of TIME or INST.
Provenance
Part of the Fenton Collection. A gift from British Film Institute in 2017. From 1986-1999, part of BFI collection for the Museum of the Moving Image. BFI purchased collection in 1986 from James Fenton's Museum of Photography, Port Erin, Isle of Man 1976-1986
Makers and roles
Houghton Butcher Manufacturing Co., manufacturer