B-P Criterion

c. 1896

Birmingham Photographic Co. Ltd

Birmingham

England

Lens:

f10, 2 ¼" meniscus, fixed aperture.

Shutter:

Sector, spring powered, single speed plus T. Not self-capping.

Construction:

Leather covered wood body.

Format:

2 ⅛" x 1 ⅝" plates held in double dark-slides.

Focusing:

Fixed.

Attributes:

Two view-finders, direct ground glass with a mirror behind the screen.

With:

Ground glass screen.

The camera was priced at £1.1.0, which was reasonable until cameras such as the Brownie were launched at a quarter of the price. The Criterion was not extensively advertised and could not have sold in quantity. The camera was patented by J. B. Brooks in 1896, no other patents by him are known for the period. BP supplied a plate cutting guide with the camera.

References & Notes:

BP 5454/1896. BJA 1899, p. 1222. Photographic News 1896, p. 683.

Company Details:

Birmingham Photographic Co.

Early Photography