E. & H.T. Anthony & Co.
N.P.A. Camera Variation 1A
E. &
H.T. Anthony & Co. catalog,
January, 1891, p. 7
5 x 8" Perspective view from the
rear. The ground glass frame is fastened when its metal post is
held in the hole in the center clip.
An
Anthony Victor Plate Holder does not have
a metal post like the ground glass frame, but is held tightly in place
by the spring part of the center clip and two brass spring clips at the
bottom. Photograph from underneath.
Note that the inset plate for the tripod connection has two holes: 1)
the large keyhole-shaped hole is a quick connect that presumably is used
with an Anthony tripod, and 2) to the left of the keyhole, a normal
threaded hole into which fits the brass thumbscrew to be found just to
its upper left. Label, nickel-plated brass:
"E. & H.T. Anthony & Co. - Manufacturers - 501 Broadway, N.Y."
Note that the address is 501 Broadway. Anthony moved to 591
Broadway on Feb. 10,1869, according to Wm. Marder in
Anthony the Man the Company the Cameras,
p.185. This camera has stamps of patents, and obviously could not
have been made earlier than the latest patent date, Feb. 20, 1886 (see
below). Apparently, Anthony had a large number of labels
containing the old address that they continued to use for decades.
Four patent stamps at the tail end of the platform:
5 x 8" Photograph from
underneath. Note that this camera only has one tripod mount,
rather than the two that the camera above this one has. Top Label, brass:
"E. & H.T. Anthony & Co. - 501 Broadway - New York"
This is probably a newer style label than the fancy edged nickel plated
one on the camera above this one.
Four patent stamps at the tail end of the platform:
Date Introduced: - ;
Years Manufactured: c.1886-1891 Notes: The same camera could be
purchased as either the N.P.A. Camera
or as the O.N.A. Equipment.
That those names included the same camera is so
stated in the catalogs. Both the N.P.A. Camera
or as the O.N.A. Equipment
included a case,
a tripod and one double plateholder. The only difference is that
the O.N.A. Equipment included
a lens, whereas the N.P.A. Camera did
not. References (Variation
1):
That this camera has one of the old labels probably means that this is
probably an early N.P.A., c.1887.
Left - 1) "Pat. Nov. 11, '84" (clamp hooks for making the
platform rigid)
Left - 2) "Pat. May 18, 1886" (side-mounted screw on rear
standard for swing adjustment)
Right - 3) "Pat. Feb. 20, '83"
(plate holder with hinged front)
Right - 4) "Pat. May 18, 1886" (a
repeat of #2 using the same stamp)
Left - 1) "Pat. Nov. 11, '84" (clamp hooks for making the
platform rigid)
Left - 2) "Pat. May 18, 1886" (side-mounted screw on rear
standard for swing adjustment)
Right - 3) "Pat. Feb. 20, '83"
(plate holder with hinged front)
Right - 4) "Pat. May 18, 1886" (a
repeat of #2 using the same stamp)
Construction: rear
focus via push-pull; none or single swing;
reversing by two tripod mounts; plywood lens board
Materials: mahogany body; cherry base;
black fabric bellows; brass hardware; French polish finish
Sizes Offered: A=no swing; B=single swing;
2A, 2B=5x8 (photos); 7B=6½x8½; 8B=8x10
The N.P.A.
Camera had a long run of production, and went through a number of
changes. The following variations of the
N.P.A. (O.N.A.) can be found:
The N.P.A. Camera had a long run of production, and went
through a number of changes. The
following variations of the N.P.A. (O.N.A.) can be found:
Variation
1A and
Variation
1B (c.1887-c.1891): solid front, brass hardware, ground
glass frame hinges down; similar or same camera was referred to as
Amateur
Equipment prior to about 1887. Variation
1A has a thumbscrew to make the folding base rigid; Variation 1B
(apparently only in 4x5) has a large metal, sliding plate that makes the
folding base rigid.
Equipment
prior to about 1887. Variation 1A has a
thumbscrew to make the folding base rigid; Variation 1B
(apparently only in 4x5) has a large metal, sliding plate that makes the
folding base rigid.
Variation
2 (c.1891-c.1898): solid front, brass hardware, ground
glass frame has a large, clunky spring; in the same catalog, the
O.N.A. (supposed to be the same) is usually illustrated with a
hinged ground glass, while the N.P.A. is illustrated with the clunky
spring back. This camera was also sold with a
Schultze Photo Equipment Co. label (see
Schultze
N.P.A.)
Variation
3 (c.1898-c.1900): solid front, brass or nickeled hardware,
ground glass frame has a low profile, flat-looking spring; in catalogs
of this era, the O.N.A. (supposed to be the same) is usually
illustrated with the flat hinged back, while the N.P.A. is illustrated
with the old-style, clunky spring back.
Variation
4 (after April 1900): frame front, nickeled hardware, ground
glass frame is spring loaded.
Illustrated Catalogue of Amateur Equipments and Materials, E. &
H.T. Anthony & Co. (New York, NY), September 1886, pp. 10-11 (as part of
the Amateur Equipments)
E.&H.T. Anthony Photographic Bulletin #18, E. & H.T.
Anthony & Co. (New York, NY), Feb., 1887, p. x-xi
Illustrated Catalogue of Amateur Photographic
Equipments & Materials, E. &
H.T. Anthony & Co., New York, NY,
August 1887, p. 8-10
Illustrated Catalogue of Amateur Photographic
Equipments & Materials, E. &
H.T. Anthony & Co., New York, NY,
January 1888, p. 12 (O.N.A, not mentioned)
Illustrated Catalogue of Amateur Photographic
Equipments & Materials, E. &
H.T. Anthony & Co. (New York, NY),
January 1889, pp. 12
Illustrated Catalogue of Photographic Equipments
and Materials for Amateurs, E. & H.T. Anthony & Co. (New York, NY),
January 1890, pp.3-4
How to Make Photographs with the Anthony Camera, Perry Mason &
Co. (Boston, MA), undated c.1890, inside back cover
Illustrated Catalogue of Photographic Equipments
and Materials for Amateurs, E. & H.T. Anthony & Co., New York, NY,
January, 1891, p. 7 (O.N.A., pp. 4-5)[In this catalog, the
O.N.A. camera is depicted as both Variation 1 and
Variation 2, while the N.P.A. camera is depicted as
Variation 2]
Descriptive Catalogue and Price List of Photographic Apparatus,
E. & H.T. Anthony & Co. (New York, NY), November 1893, p.43 (as N.P.A.
camera) and pp.50-52 (as O.N.A. equipment)
Illustrated Catalogue of Photographic Equipments
and Materials for Amateurs, E. & H.T. Anthony & Co., New York, NY,
September, 1894, p. 11 (O.N.A., pp. 8-9)[In this catalog, the
O.N.A. camera is depicted as both Variation 1 and
Variation 2, while the N.P.A. camera is depicted as
Variation 2]
Illustrated Catalogue of Photographic Equipments and Materials for
Amateurs, E. & H.T. Anthony & Co., New York, NY, August, 1895, p. 11
(O.N.A., pp. 8-9)[In
this catalog, the O.N.A. camera is depicted as both Variation
1 and Variation 2, while the N.P.A. camera is depicted
as Variation 2]
Illustrated Catalogue of Photographic Equipments and Materials for
Amateurs, E. & H.T. Anthony & Co., New York, NY, August, 1896, p. 11
(O.N.A., pp. 8-9)[In this catalog, the O.N.A.
camera is depicted as both Variation 1 and Variation 2,
while the N.P.A. camera is depicted as Variation 2]
