Posted 9 years ago
S.Katz
(1 item)
This is from a camera collection, but I have no idea what it is. The name plate reads "Sam Flax London England" and it has 3 concave square lenses mounted in mahogany and brass.
Any help identifying what this is, how it is used, value, etc. would be very much appreciated.
Second photo added 10/10/15
![Thornton-Pickard Wood Shutters and Congo (x5) [2410-C5B]](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/w20AAOSwDg1nMW5k/s-l225.jpg)
It doesn't appear to be part of any camera design I am familiar with. Maybe it is an accessory for negative retouching or some type of tool for projection. What does the back look like?
Stereoscopic plate camera adaptor??
The back is identical to the front except for the nameplate. Also, the leather case is marked "HOMA made in England." The lenses do not magnify, they're concave on both sides and actually reduce the image size, and all are the same. The stereoscopic plate camera adapter suggestion is possible because it came from a collection of mostly stereo cameras, including wood and brass glass plate models. But I can't figure out what it would do?
Top lens, viewer, two bottom lenses, to register the image on the plate. Probably with some device externally, to change between left hand and right hand sides of the plate? Could also be used to make two portrait images?? No expert here, just trying to think this through, with what little (no)knowledge of optics from school science lessons more than 4 decades ago.
Predecessor of something like this??
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereo_camera#/media/File:Sputnik_stereo_camera.jpg
It reminds me of the screw-in lens accessory prisms (i.e. Spiratone Multi-image filter) to make multiple images of whatever is in the view show up in the photo. When I look through this thing I do see 3 repeats of the view - see added picture. But 4 repeats would make more sense to better fill a rectangular film or plate, why only 3? And there is no provision for mounting it in front of or within a camera; it seems to be intended for hand holding when used.