Anthony Novelette Field Camera: 1880s

I’ve said it many times. I love really odd designs that show off the creativity of camera design based on use. E & H.T. Anthony - one of America’s earliest photographic equipment manufacturers - often exhibited a flare for innovative camera designs. In this case, the Novelette’s entire front standard is brass.

Advanced amateurs and professionals often used Anthony equipment in the field. For example, the renowned western landscape photographer William Henry Jackson traveled with a 20” x 24” Novel model, the large version of this Novelette, that shot mammoth glass plates.

Although made of mahogany mounted on cherry rails it does not have the beautiful finish of other cameras, but Anthony made up for it with ruggedness for field use. The brass front standard (no wood whatsoever) is fully reinforced and nearly indestructible. At the top of each brass post is a cute, lathed mahogany finial. The back and bellows rotated together to easily change from landscape to portrait orientations.

This particular Anthony Novelette is a ½-plate (4¼ x 5½ inch) model and [overall] has wonderful proportions. It is the only example of this format known. Shown behind the camera is an equally rare Anthony ‘telescoping’ canvas case.