Louisiana Belle
Mahogany sliding glass camera
Seen at LSU Rural Life Museum, this camera is from the 1850s, approximately. There was no signage for the camera, so I guessed its age based on the other artifacts in the museum. The closest thing I could find online is this web page that discussed how it was used.
How it worked
The photographer opened up the camera and set it on the tripod. Then he or she looked at the image formed on the focusing screen at the back of the camera. By moving the lens forward and back, the photographer composed and focused the picture. Then he or she prepared the glass plate with chemicals and slipped it into the back of the camera.
It took a while for the photo to appear on the glass plate. For portraits, people had to stand or sit very still for up to half an hour. From time to time, the photographer checked on how the photo was developing. When the picture seemed ready, the photographer removed the glass plate from the camera and fixed the image using different chemicals.
Can you imagine the patience required to operate this thing? Even moreso for the pour souls who had to pose for up to 30 minutes at a time. No wonder there weren't very many photographs from that era. Amazing how far we've come.
Mahogany sliding glass camera
Seen at LSU Rural Life Museum, this camera is from the 1850s, approximately. There was no signage for the camera, so I guessed its age based on the other artifacts in the museum. The closest thing I could find online is this web page that discussed how it was used.
How it worked
The photographer opened up the camera and set it on the tripod. Then he or she looked at the image formed on the focusing screen at the back of the camera. By moving the lens forward and back, the photographer composed and focused the picture. Then he or she prepared the glass plate with chemicals and slipped it into the back of the camera.
It took a while for the photo to appear on the glass plate. For portraits, people had to stand or sit very still for up to half an hour. From time to time, the photographer checked on how the photo was developing. When the picture seemed ready, the photographer removed the glass plate from the camera and fixed the image using different chemicals.
Can you imagine the patience required to operate this thing? Even moreso for the pour souls who had to pose for up to 30 minutes at a time. No wonder there weren't very many photographs from that era. Amazing how far we've come.