R.
Dempster
Omaha, Nebraska
The Ak-Sar-Ben View Camera
Buchanan's
Complete Illustrated Catalogue, W.P. Buchanan (Philadelphia, PA),
1893, p.43
R. Dempster
catalog, 1897,
p. 39
5 x 8"
Bottom
Top
10 x 12",
with probably the original carrying case Date Introduced: - ;
Years Manufactured: c. 1897 The Robert Dempster Co.
is only known from a few references. He places a small
advertisement in the 1891 Annual of Anthony's Bulletin (see references
below), ads, p.62. This ad gives an address of "411 Court Ave.,
Des Moines, IA". A "R. Dempster" catalog, c.1897, that looks to
have been xeroxed in the 1970's, gives the address as Omaha, NE, as do
several newspaper ads that come up in a google search.
The Ak-Sar-Ben camera has so far only been found to be mentioned in the
1891 reference below, and advertised in the
above two engravings. The large,
wooden side plates are quite distinctive and
unique, as are the folded brass springs holding the ground glass frame,
which probably means that this camera was a Dempster product
manufactured locally. At least five examples exist, one of
which was spray-painted black, which is resisting being restored to a
varnished state. In case you were wondering, Ak-Sar-Ben
is the name of a certain state spelled
backwards. In the W.P. Buchanan 1893 catalog, the camera is
identified as the Rochester View Camera. None of the
Rochester-related camera manufacturing companies, i.e., Rochester
Optical Co., Rochester Camera Mfg. Co., etc. (see
http://www.piercevaubel.com/cam/roc.htm), ever advertised such a
camera as theirs. Mayber Buchanan made a mistake, but maybe he
knew something. It may be significant that the Dempster catalog
featured three other view camera, all manufactured by the Rochester
Optical Co. The catalog also featured what looks like the full
array of R.O.C. premo cameras, and the only other cameras of any kind in
the catalog are Kodaks. The relatively common view camera called
The Rochester View does not appear in catalogs from until 1895,
and is manufactured by the Rochester Camera Mfg. Co., and continued to
be manufactured by various successors to R.C.M.Co. until 1918.
Interestingly, it was in 1891 that the two Carlton brothers split into
two rival camera manufacturers, W.F. Carlton retaining control of the
Rochester Optical Co. and H.B. Carlton starting the Rochester Camera
Mfg. Co., so it may be that if either of the two competing companies
manufactured the Ak-Sar-Ben, it probably was H.B. Carlton and the
R.C.M.Co. References:
The Internation Annual of Anthony's Photographic Bulletin", Vo. IV,
June, 1891, E. & H.T. Anthony & Co. (New York, NY), ads p.62 (Dempster
Co. store only, not the Ak-Sar-Ben camera)
Construction: front focus
via rack and pinion (two gear tracks on top of base rails);
single swing; reversing by removable back
Materials: mahogany, brass, black
fabric bellows
Sizes Offered: 5x7; 5x8; 6 ½x8 ½; 8x10;
10x12; 11x14; 14x17; 17x20
Notes:
Buchanan's Complete
Illustrated Catalogue, W.P. Buchanan (Philadelphia, PA), 1893,
p.43
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