Rochester Optical Co.

The Ideal Camera, Variation 1.5

8 x 10

Date Introduced:  Years Manufactured: c. 1890
Construction: front focus via rack and pinion (two gear tracks on top of base rails); single or double swing; three-piece lensboard; reversing by removable back
Materials: mahogany body; cherry base; black fabric bellows; nickeled brass hardware
Sizes Offered:presumed 3¼x4¼; 4x5; 4¼x6½; 5x7; 5x8; 6½-8½; 8x10; 11x14; 14x17; 17x20; 18x22; 20x24
Notes:   The Ideal Variation 1 has an s-shaped tilt mechanism (as well as a hinged ground glass frame and four cam-buttons, two of which release the ground glass frame, and two of which release the entire removable back).  The Ideal Variation 2 has a two types of tilt mechanism: a center pivot (as above) or a plate-type bottom pivot (as well as a spring-loaded ground glass frame and no cam-buttons).  This camera is assigned Variation 1.5 because it is not so much a different variation as a combination of mostly Variation 1 but the center tilt pivot of Variation 2.

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