Gundlach View Camera Identification help please

[chiangmaiphotos]

I recently purchased a Gundlach view camera primarily to salvage the packard

shutter and for the tripod and lens. I am guessing the lens is a Turner-Reich

since what is there appears to be an original set. Most of the parts appear to

be there though the bed will need to be reglued should I decide to make a user

out of it. I can have a machinist here make up the missing geared shaft for the

rear focus should I decide to go that way. The camera is presently at my US

address awaiting shipment to me in Thailand. I have no idea what model or size

it is and I didn't want to ask too many quetions of the previous owner since I

didn't want the price to rise. Below are links to several photos of what remains

of the camera. Any information is appreciated.

 

http://tinyurl.com/369ru9

 

http://tinyurl.com/2lrjye

 

http://tinyurl.com/2ru5rp

 

http://tinyurl.com/2lqlvf

[thirteenthumbs]

Neal,<br>IMHO it closely resembles a Korona Home Portrait pictured <a href=http://www.fiberq.com/cam/gund.htm> Here </a>.<br>Charles

[Troll]

Charles, that's a neat thread. I hadn't seen it before, thanks for posting it. Bill

[chiangmaiphotos]

Charles,

Thanks for the reply. I have looked at the Home Portrait and it is similar. However, my camera has both front and rear focus which the Home Portrait does not. The shaft and gear are missing in the rear but the hole where they were is still evident. I have looked at the other models displayed on the site you provided the link for and while it resembles several in some aspects none appear to be the idential model.

[randall ellis]

I have that same model in both 4x5 and 8x10, but I always thought they were a variant of the Pictorial View model (due to the front movements). The Home Portrait model does not have many front movements, but the Pictorial View shown has all of the them except for the front tilt. They are great cameras - I use mine all the time and love them.

 

- Randy

[chiangmaiphotos]

From what I can see of the pictorial view is has a retractable rail. My camera appears to have a fixed rail that is now separated from the central block. In photo #1 you can see the rail off to the right.

[randall ellis]

True. The bed appears to be as mine are, more like the View Camera variation #2 on that site. I believe that there were a number of variations on these models over the years, so what we have may be a more modern version of the View Camera model than what is shown, or the added movements could have been an option. I know that the lenses came with many options but shared the same designations in their catalog. You can get catalogs for both the lenses and cameras from various years on ebay, but I don't have on so I can't say with much certainty other than what I've already posted.

 

If you would like, I can send you some detailed pictures of the bed on mine (and any other parts) so that you know how to repair it. I've repaired two of these so far and they are not that difficult to work on if you have access to basic woodworking tools. There was a rear rail (both mine have one) that allows for an unreal amount of extension that I believe is not shown in any of the images on that site. It attached much the same way the front rail attaches, except that the rear rail has no hinge.

 

- Randy

[thirteenthumbs]

There are two early 1900's Gundlach catalogs posted at <a href=http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info.html>Camera Eccentric </a> that may be of interest.

The cataslogs also list Turner-Reich lens. The packard shutter suggest portrait work. There is also some limited information at <a href=http://www.historiccamera.com/>Historic Camera </a>.

[chiangmaiphotos]

Randy,

 

If you would send me pictures of th bed I would appreciate it.

 

Thanks,

Neal

[User_503771]

Looks to me like a Korona. Additionally, it is clear that the front standard has both swings and tilts. The tilts are controlled by the knob at the top -- actually an ingenious design.

 

There is another nearly-identical looking Korona without the front tilts. It has less-elaborate woodworking on the front standard, and no knob at the top.

 

The back puzzles me -- the proportions of the ground glass make it an odd size. Maybe 5x8?

 

The bed on the Koronas was not retractable, but the fold-up "flat bed" style (with bolt-on extension track as well) similar to the Burke and James. The Ansco had a retracting/extending rear track on a hinge.