Adams de Luxe - Antique and Vintage Cameras

Adams de Luxe

1898

No. 2 model

Adams & Co.

London

England

Image of Adams de Luxe No. 2 model

Lens:
f6.3, 5" Zeiss Anastigmat. Combinable lens: f12.5, 9" front and back groups. Diaphragm to f45. Bayonet lens mount. Serial no. 7143 7149 .

Shutter:
Spring powered sector, speeds 1/2 - 1/100, pneumatic regulation. Finger and bulb release. Focusing and time exposure setting. Separate capping blade.

Construction:
Seal-skin leather covered mahogany body, black square cornered leather bellows. The front section is removable after releasing a catch at the rear of the front standard.

Format:
3 ¼" x 4 ¼" plates held in removable changing box.

Focusing:
Bellows. Scales to 2 yards for combined lens and single lens. Double extension. The scale for the combined lens is spring loaded, when the camera is closed the scale is pushed into the front section as the body separates the scale gradually becomes visible.

Attributes:
Two brilliant view-finders with sliding masks when using rear lens group. Two focusing scales. Two bubble levels. Removable lens/shutter.

Movements:
Rise and cross front.

Serial Number:
128 .

Notes:
Address: 26 Charing Cross Rd. London. W.C. (1892 - 1908).

With:
Two exposure record cards and pencil in rear compartment. Carrying case.

The de Luxe was introduced to compete with the Universal cameras from N&G. It was more expensive and did not sell as well as the N&G. Advertisements stressed the advantages of the de Luxe over the Universal, such as the changing arrangement where the plates were lifted by hand rather than a lever. Optional extras included Russia leather bellows and aluminium binding.

The de Luxe was produced in three models:

  • No. 1 - Single extension with a Dallmeyer Stigmat lens.
  • No. 2 - Two focus model with double extension and a Zeiss Anastigmat V11a with similar front and rear components.
  • No. 3 - Three focus model with a Zeiss lens having different front and rear components.

Two sizes quarter-plate and 5" x 4" were regularly available, half-plate was occasionally advertised but otherwise available to special order.

A new version was introduced in 1901, this had an additional focal-plane shutter giving speeds to 1/1000. Only the two focus model was advertised. A couple of years later the de Luxe ceased to be advertised. Around 1901 two cameras were made to special order one in quarter-plate size was made with solid gold fittings the other, a half-plate, had solid silver fittings.

An advertisement from 1899 states that it takes 400 hours of work to make a model 2 or 3 camera.

References & Notes:
Adams de Luxe shutter. BP 12029/1892. BJA 1899, pp. 354, 896. BJA 1900, p. 349. BJA 1901, p. 349. BJA 1902, p. 348. YBP 1901, p. 541. Phot. Journal 1898, p. 27.

Illustrations:
The camera with gold fittings is illustrated in Christie's Cat. 25/11/1993 lot 435.


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Adams & Co.

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