Folding Ruby - Antique and Vintage Cameras

Folding Ruby

No. 3

1907

Thornton-Pickard Manufacturing Co.

Altrincham

England

Image of Folding Ruby No. 3

Lens:
f6.8, 5.45" Cooke Series III, iris diaphragm to f45. Serial no. 10204 .

Shutter:
B&L Automat, speeds 1 - 1/100, B, T. Second model of the Automat (1909) with three blades.

Construction:
Leather covered mahogany body, leather bellows.

Format:
3 ¼" x 4 ¼" plates held in dark-slides.

Focusing:
Bellows. Double extension.

Attributes:
Brilliant view-finder. Circular spirit level. Wide-angle rack. Removable lens panel. Revolving back.

Movements:
Rising front, tilting front, swing and tilt back.

With:
2 double dark-slides.

The Folding Ruby was Thornton-Pickard's direct competitor to the very successful Sanderson. A number of models were produced of which the No. 3 was the most advanced in its range of movements. Production ceased during World War I.

Models

Original
Introduced in 1906, replaced by the models 1, 2 and 3 the following year. Wide-angle focusing rack. Panoptic shutter. Produced in quarter-plate and 5" x 4" sizes.

No. 1
1907. Basic model of the range. Usually fitted with an f8 Beck Rapid Symmetrical in a Unicum, and from 1909 an Automat shutter. Produced in quarter-plate and 5" x 4" sizes.

No. 2
1907. Superior construction over the No.1 with rack and pinion movement to the rising front. Usual lens was an f7.7 Beck Aplanat in an Automat shutter. Produced in quarter-plate, 5" x 4", postcard and half-plate (1908) sizes.

No. 3
1907. As for the No. 2 but with tilting front and tilt movements to the back, wide-angle focusing rack. Usual lens was an f7.7 Beck Aplanat in an Automat shutter. Produced in quarter-plate, 5" x 4", postcard and half-plate (1908) sizes.

No. 2A
1908. As for No. 2 but with additional focal-plane shutter. Various lenses. Produced in quarter-plate, 5" x 4", postcard and half-plate sizes.

Unit
1909. As for No. 2A but using the 'Unit' focal-plane shutter without a front shutter. Various lenses. Produced in quarter-plate, 5" x 4", postcard and half-plate sizes.

Tropical Unit
1909. Made of polished teak rather than leather covered mahogany. Various lenses. Produced in quarter-plate, 5" x 4", postcard and half-plate sizes.

Universal
c. 1914. Stereo model, possibly using a ruby focal-plane shutter.

Variations

  • Revolving back fitted to the No. 3 c. 1909, previously a reversing back was fitted.
  • Wide-angle rack added to the No. 2 and 2A c. 1908/09.
  • Early models had 'T' levels, later circular.
  • Model 2, Automat shutters were fitted from 1909.

References & Notes:
BJA 1907, p. 246. BJA 1908, p. 206. BJA 1909, pp. 211, 723. BJA 1910, pp. 186, 188. BJA 1911, p. 191.

Further Information:
Holliday, Thornton-Pickard Cameras & Equipment.

Illustrations:
Christie's Cat. 11/12/2002 lots 87, 88, 89.

Watson Alpha

Sanderson

Sanderson Regular

Sanderson De Luxe

Sanderson Tourist

Junior Sanderson

Tropical Sanderson

Tropical Roll-film Sanderson

Tropical Sanderson

Sanderson Tropical De Luxe

Sanderson Tropical De Luxe

Roll-Film Sanderson

Sanderson Regular

Tropical Una

Una De Luxe

Una

Traveller Una

Dallmeyer Long Focus

Correspondent

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Keros

Tablo

Kings Own

Service

Stereo Panoramic

Challenge Model A

Stereo Challenge Model B

Postcard Plate Camera

Challenge Model D

Dayspool No. 1

Challenge Tropical De Luxe

Challenge Dainty

Luzo

20th Century

Ensign Model D

Baird Imperial

Oxford Automan

Nimrod Automan

Focal Plane Automan

Tropical Folding Ruby

Folding Ruby

Tropical Hand Camera

Vaido

Vaido

Newman & Guardia

Trellis

Soho Precision

Universal Press Camera

MPP Technical Camera