The Imperial is quite an odd design, the front standard moves along the base and was clamped by rods passing through the front standard, i.e. Hare 1882 pattern. The rear standard moves and was clamped in a similar way, which was typical for tailboard cameras of the period. The baseboard is in two parts with a hinge joining the two, either near the front standard or the rear standard. To fold the camera the front and rear standards are pushed to the short part of the baseboard, the main part of the baseboard then hinges up to cover either the front standard or rear standard, depending on whether the baseboard hinge is near the back or the front.

The camera incorporated Sands & Hunter's patent for operating a swing or tilting back: A circular plate was mounted on the camera and able to rotate about an eccentrically mounted fixing. The plate carried an arcuate slot in which a stud, fixed to the tilting back, could move. The stud was also constrained to move in a straight slot fixed to the camera body but overlapping the tilting back. Rotating the circular plate therefore moved the stud along the straight slot and so altered the separation of the tilting part from the camera body.

The are some variations between examples:

• The baseboard is hinged, the hinge is either near the front standard or the rear standard.
• There was a semi-circular clamp covering the hinge in the baseboard when this is at the back of the camera.
• There was a small strut to the front standard when the baseboard is hinged near the front.
• The lens board is sometimes fitted with a cross front movement.
• The rising front is clamped either by a screw operating in a vertical slot or in a loose arc-shaped plate.
• The bottom of the front standard sometimes has a strengthening piece of wood.
• Brass binding and Russia leather bellows were optional.

In 1888 the camera was advertised in sizes of half-plate to 12" x 10".