Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

PHOTOGRAPHIC SET

Date Range From

1900

Date Range To

1910

Materials

MAHOGANY, BRASS, CANVAS, COTTON

No. Pieces

11

Description

1. CAMERA: 22CM (H) X 30.5CM (L) X 22.5CM (W) (DIMENSIONS EXTENDED). HALF-PLATE BRASS AND MAHOGANY CAMERA. HINGED PANEL OPENS FROM FRONT OF CASE; LENS AND SHUTTER SLIDE OUT ON RAIL, WITH BLACK PRESSED PAPER "BELLOW" SYSTEM UNFOLDING. BRASS SHUTTER ENGRAVED "J. LANCASTER & SON'S PATENT BHMM.". HEIGHT CAN BE ADJUSTED BY MEANS OF TWO KNOBS ON EITHER SIDE OF WOOD CASING. BACK OF CAMERA CONTAINS FROSTED GLASS PLATE; HINGED AT TOP AND BOTTOM. STORES REMOVABLE DOUBLE-PLATE HOLDER. EACH HINGED ARM ENGRAVED "LANCASTER'S PATENT". BACK PANEL IS REMOVABLE. BOTTOM PANEL OF CAMERA HAS THREADED HOLE FOR SECURING TRIPOD. 2. SHUTTER FIXTURE/CABLE SHUTTER RELEASE: 2.3CM (H) X 10.4CM (L) X 9.5CM (W) RECTANGULAR WOODEN PIECE WITH CIRCULAR HOLE IN CENTRE; CRACKED RUBBER LINING FITS OVER CAMERA LENS. DIAL ON ONE SIDE TO CONTROL SHUTTER SPEED. METAL LEVER DEVICE AND DIAL ON OPPOSITE SIDE; CONNECTS TO CLOTH-COVERED CABLE FOR SHUTTER RELEASE. KNOB ON CABLE EMBOSSED "WATSON EDWARDS THE ANTINUOUS REG MADE IN ENGLAND". CORD WRAPPING IS FRAYING AT ONE END. PARTS OF METAL DEVICE APPEAR TO BE REPLACEMENTS. LARGE CRACK IN WOOD. 3-5. DOUBLE PLATE HOLDERS. 3 PIECES. 2.2CM (H) X 22.2CM (L) X 15.2CM (W). THREE MAHOGANY DOUBLE PLATE HOLDERS WITH BRASS FITTINGS. EACH CONSISTS OF TWO RECTANGULAR PANELS WHICH SLIDE INTO FRAME; HINGED TOGETHER AT ONE END, WITH BRASS FITTINGS AT OPPOSITE END TO CLOSE PANELS TOGETHER. INSIDE OF PANEL PAINTED BLACK; THIN PIECE OF BLACK CARDBOARD PAPER RESTS BETWEEN THEM. EACH HOLDER IS HAND ENGRAVED WITH NUMBER "1" "2" OR "3" ON EXTERIOR. #2 AND 3 HAVE PIECE OF WHITE ADHESIVE ON ONE SIDE. #3 CONTAINS PHOTOGRAPHIC DRY PLATE; 6-9. TRIPOD. 4 PIECES. LEGS (EXTENDED): 2CM (H) X 153CM (L) X 7CM (W). TRIPOD CONSISTS OF CIRCULAR BRASS PLATE, THREADED WITH SCREW AND WINGNUT TO SECURE TO BASE OF CAMERA. PINS EXTENDING FROM UNDERSIDE SECURE THREE COLLAPSABLE LEGS. EACH LEG CONSISTS OF FIVE WOODEN RODS FITTED SIDE BY SIDE; EXTEND TO THREE TIMES FOLDED LENGTH. HEIGHT ADJUSTED BY WINGNUT. SURFACE OF EACH LEG SCRATCHED CONSIDERABLY; STAMPED ON FITTING "LANCASTER PATENT". 10. CASE. 21CM (H) X 24.7CM (L) X 14.6CM (W). BROWN CANVAS CARRYING BAG WITH TWO SIDE FLAPS AND TOP FLAP; LEATHER STRAPS AND BUCKLES AT THE END OF EACH. CASE TRIMMED WITH LEATHER BINDING. BUCKLE FROM ONE FRONT STRAP MISSING; SIDE FLAP STRAP BROKEN. TOP CARRYING STRAP AND ONE LEATHER HANDLE ALSO BROKEN OFF AND MISSING. CASE IS WORN THROUGHOUT, WITH SEVERAL HOLES IN CANVAS. 11. FOCUSSING CLOTH. 85.6CM (L) X 72.5CM (W). BLACK COTTON RECTANGULAR CLOTH, LINED WITH ECRU COTTON. WHITE STRING TIED TO ONE CORNER OF CLOTH. LINING SLIGHTLY SOILED; SMALL HOLES THROUGHOUT.

Subjects

PHOTOGRAPHIC T&E

Historical Association

LEISURE

History

CAMERA AND PARTS WERE COLLECTED BY DONOR'S HUSBAND, CLIFF DAW. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS INTERN KIRSTAN SCHAMUHN CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PERSONAL ARTIFACTS. ON 26 NOVEMBER 2018, SCHAMUHN INTERVIEWED RUTH DAW REGARDING HER PRIOR DONATIONS. THE INFORMATION BELOW HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THAT INTERVIEW: WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE CAMERAS AND THEIR TIES TO HER HUSBAND, CLIFF DAW, RUTH DAW RECALLED, “THIS WAS STUFF WE WERE CLEARING OUT THAT WE THOUGHT THE MUSEUM MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN [AFTER CLIFF DAW PASSED AWAY].” “HE WAS VERY MUCH INTO CAMERAS. HE JUST USED THEM A LOT.” WHEN ASKED IF CLIFF HAD A FAVOURITE CAMERA, RUTH DAW RESPONDED, “NO, I CAN’T REALLY SAY.” RUTH DAW RECALLED HER HUSBAND’S INTEREST IN PHOTOGRAPHY, SAYING, “[HE WOULD TAKE PHOTOS] ALL THE TIME. I HAVE ALBUMS AND ALBUMS. HE WAS CRAZY ABOUT FUNERALS…HE ALWAYS HAD HIS CAMERA WITH HIM.” “IT WAS JUST AN EXPRESSION. HE WOULDN’T REALLY TAKE PART IN A LOT OF THINGS BUT HE WOULD TAKE PICTURES AND HE LIKED TAKING PICTURES OF [OUR] DAUGHTERS. HE WOULD TAKE PICTURES OF GUYS [ON] THE HOCKEY TEAMS AND WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS…THE NORTH SIDE PEOPLE WERE VERY HAPPY ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY OFTEN COULDN’T HIRE A PHOTOGRAPHER AND HE DIDN’T CHARGE ANYTHING FOR IT, IT WAS JUST HIS DONATION.” “HE’D ALWAYS HAVE THE KIDS BE PART OF THE PICTURE BUT HE WOULD ALSO [PHOTOGRAPH] THE GENERAL LANDSCAPE OF THE LAKES AND THE MOUNTAINS.” WHEN ASKED IF CLIFF EVER EXHIBITED HIS PHOTOGRAPHS, RUTH DAW REPLIED, ““[WITH] THE SKETCH CLUB. HE BELONGED TO THE SKETCH CLUB…AND WAS PRETTY GOOD. HE WAS ALSO AN AVID HIKER AND HE ALWAYS TOOK HIS CAMERA WITH HIM SO HE’D HAVE ALL KINDS OF [PHOTOS] THROUGH WATERTON.” PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE P19970055001 FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION AND COPIES OF ARTICLES REGARDING THE FAMILY HISTORY.

Catalogue Number

P19970055001

Acquisition Date

1997-06

Collection

Museum

Less detail