Kamm carbon arc illuminant.
Leonard 'Leo' Ulrich Kamm
Category
Photographic technology
Date
1850 - 1880
Materials
Steel?
Measurements
280 x 580 x 140 mm
Place of origin
London
Collection
Fox Talbot Museum, Wiltshire
NT 1525199
Summary
Kamm carbon arc illuminant. The unit is basically steel with a pivot to change the carbon electrodes separation. Only one electrode is present. The height and separation of the electrode can be adjusted with a series of knobs. The quality and brightness of the light was very sensitive to separation.
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
Leonard 'Leo' Ulrich Kamm, manufacturer