The national camera?

Any body know about the history of "the national camera". I have one,

It's a 1/4 plate feild camera.

Hi Ross , uncommon. All I have is National Camera Co. St Louis , Horiz. folding Hawk - Eye Rapid rectilinear f4 lens and Ilex shutter 8 x 14 cm. The camera used rollfilm. Is this the one there are other cameras with National in the name like the National Photocolor Corp. New York a 9 x 12 cm for plates or sheet. I have no dates for any of these.

Ross, it is just possible it is English. I seem to remember a 1/4 pl field of that name was sold by a large UK chain of chemists shops called Boots. They usually came with the Thornton Pickard roller blind shutter stuck on the front as in the photo. I've tried to locate a picture of the Boots 1/4 plate field sold under the 'National Camera' name but have not been able to find one.<div></div>

In the 1940s US, National Camera was a 1-shot 3-color separation beaste, 4x5 or 5x7, using Goerz Dogmar lenses. It competed with the Curtis brand. Probably nothing to do with your really neat camera, but thought I'd mention it just in case.

National Photocolor produced these camera in the 1940s and were pricey - about $485US. They were designed to make three color seperation negatives through the red green and blue filters with "one shot". They came in three sizes 5x7, 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 (quater plate) and 2 1/4 x 31/4. They were recommened to be used with glass plates for the best registration of the negatives although they also used film packs and sheet film. The film holders for glass plates are very precise and were supplied as a set of three and manufactured to ensure they were matched for registration. The 5x7 was considered a studio camera while the other two were for hand operation since they were light - 7lbs for the 3x4. The 1/4 plate model came in two models - one balanced for tungsten light and one for daylight depending on the pellicle mirrors in the camera. The camera may or may not have a parallax correcting coupled rangefinder depending on the model.