The Auto Graflex
5 x 7 inch Reflex camera
1906
Missing cover brackets and missing strap handle, leather camera cover in
very bad
shape and a not functional stiff focal plane shutter.
The accordion style viewing hood has had its best days long time ago but still
usable.
This was marketed as a reflex camera for use in and around the house.
Sizes when closed : 24 cm high, 23 cm long and 21cm wide !
The advertisement emphasises the advantage of the accordion viewing hood which
enables the photographer to see the image on the ground glass
in full size and right up at the very instant of exposure.
The ad shows the hunter on his head and the message is:
"If you had to stand on your head to shoot you wouldn't bring home much game"
The very impressive viewing hood with an oval slit shaped peep hole
in the back of the accordion hood prevents incoming stray light on the ground glass.
A mirror on the inside of the viewing hood placed in an angle of 45 degree
opposite the peep hole, allows the photographer to look strait forward into the
peep hole and
still see the image on the ground glass. Undoubtedly another advantage of this
remarkable viewing hood.
The accordion Auto Graflex with the front hinged cover was made from
1906 till 1910 in the film sizes 4x5 and 5x7"
The first edition Auto Graflex cameras were equipped with the
accordion front hinged viewing hood, matching brackets and button release.
The camera on the photos (before restoration) is
the largest 5 x 7 inch format.
A remarkable detail is the front lens cover. It exist out of a kind of box with
on the inside the easy to change lens board with lens and on the outside a
hinged door.
The inside of the box is covered with leatherette as well as the inside of the
hinged door. A smaller metal hinged door in the middle of the bigger front door,
pops open when the lens is turned outwards. The big door stays closed until
The camera top cover came without the leather strap handle and missed both top cover brackets to hold the
cover and the accordion viewing hood upright.
Furthermore the focal plane shutter was extremely dry and brittle and non
functional. Even the lens including lens board was missing.
Nevertheless I decided to accept the
challenge to start the restoration. First of all I tackled the focal
plane shutter, renewed the fabric but used the old clips.
I followed the same procedure as I did before by
renewing the Graflex Home Portrait camera.
Not being a metalworker I had to find a way to make these top cover
brackets and started with thin cardboard test designs to see how this would act
while opening and closing the top cover. Once I found the right shape, I
cut them out of 0,3 mm copper plate which is very easy to cut and bend.
Test using cardboard to find a working dummy.
This is how it looks.
A poor "try out cut" made out of copper and finally the provisional steel
bracket result
which proves to be good working.
Realising that the old leather was definitively unsuitable to be restored,
I decided to undress the camera to see how it looks then.
I might find some new leather to cover the camera with, but up till now I like
the woody as it is. Maybe some varnish would give it a nicer and warmer look.
Further more I managed to make a new strap holder. A very nice brass
Bausch & Lomb Series IIb 5x7 lens fitted in a home made wooden lens holder
completes the outer performance.
My next project:
The 3¼ x 4¼ Auto Graflex
The refurbishment of an attic found.
Unlike its older and bigger brother, this 3 ¼ x
4 ¼ successor
Auto Graflex was equipped with the strait up viewing hood with fur top rather
than the
accordion hood with the peep hole.
However both cameras had the same front hinged door and a very odd front lens
housing.
Further detail, the first Auto Graflex edition had a button release knob which had been replaced by a release handle
in this second edition. Both cameras were equiped with an enclosed lens standard
with hinged door which opened automatically when the lens was turned out in
focusing position. Even the inside of the front lens enclosure was strangely enough
covered with leather.
My purchase showed a very poor appear due to the extremely worn leather,
probably due to moisture.
A closer look ad the eBay photos learned me that none of the visible screws
showed any signs of repair which gave me the right feeling to buy it.
Once the camera arrived, my hope came true and obviously the camera was never
taken apart for repair and there was no damage beside the brittle fabric of the
focal plane shutter.
This camera type with the front hinged folding hood was manufactured from1911 to
1915 and one can be pretty sure that the focal plane shutter rubberised
fabric
will be completely stiff after being kept packed over one hundred years. Also very
often the carrying strap handle of these cameras is broken and the one of my new purchase, was no
exception.
Apart from the stiff and brittle focal plane shutter, the broken strap handle and
the missing lens, the camera was
technical perfect okay, but needed care and for all a complete technical
overhauling. Cosmetically however it was a
disaster and my intention was to remove the old worn leatherette and to replace it by
new leather or to undress it and keep it in its uncovered wooden natural outfit.
I ordered new cloth for the focal pane shutter. Meanwhile waiting for the
delivery I removed very carefully the clips out of the old curtain and if
necessary
bent them into the right shape. This is easier said than done. The making
of a
new focal plane shutter is quite a job and it takes time, skills, feeling and
for all patience.
The reward is a perfect working one hundred year old classic camera.
Undressing the wooden body from its leather
cover and removing the
shutter mechanics.
I found an old worn and for all stiff and brittle focal plane shutter inside the camera.
On the right the
old shutter curtain next to the new uncut fabric.
After cutting the slits and mounting the old clips into the new
fabric,
the rebuild focal plane shutter is ready to get installed into the camera.
The ugly duckling after the metamorphose has become a handsome wooden classic camera but still
misses a carrying hand-strap.
One of the collectors worst nightmare would be picking up an old precious camera
by its strap handle which turns out to be too brittle to hold the heavy camera
which definitely ends up with a broken camera laying on the floor.
Most of these classics are more than a century old and one of the cosmetic shortcoming is the leather strap-handle. Next to the leather loops connected to
the camera top, the strap is brittle and will definitely break when tilting the
camera. Two new brackets and a new proper leather handle would be more than
necessary to display or take the camera out.
Stitching such a close to original strap holder is quite a job but also a gratifying activity.
By the way, now all this has been done, I wonder if I ever will cover this good looking camera with black
leather again to bring it back into its original shape.
To be frank, I don't think I will. It just looks so nice as it is now.
In the mean while I was very lucky to find a nice B&L lens to complete the refurbishment.
Are you looking for a new original personalised strap holder?
I would be pleased to make one for you.
More info
