Sanderson Tropical ½ Plate Hand and Stand Camera circa 1905

This rare and exceptional, tropical camera is made of teak wood, which has great damp and heat resisting properties. The corners of the framework are tongued and grooved, and a brass dowel pin is driven through the tongues in order to give an alternative support in the event of the wood becoming unstuck under extreme climate conditions. The Carl Zeiss Jena 22 cm double lens nos. 119805 and 119504 are mounted on a Bausch and Lomb volute shutter, which sits on a patented lens board. The board moves up and down, which allow the photographer to compensate for focus and distortion. A newer pneumatic bulb and tube are included so that one can activate the shutter from afar. Sanderson also patented all the clips that hold the board and slide. The focusing screen is made of ground glass and the black focusing hood is intact. The spirit levels are in working order, as is the Adams & Co. viewfinder. There are four plaques on this camera: The Sanderson H-Ltd London (Sanderson merged with Houghton in 1904) - on the lens board. British Made, Ensign (with the logo of a pub sign with the letter N) dating from 1904. Sands Hunter & Co. 37 Bedford St. Strand London WC, the store which sold this camera, it is on the side of the camera, and Tropical Model underneath the shutter. This remarkable camera comes with 5 tropical double dark slides.