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Lancaster and Son photographic equipment

J. Lancaster and Son, optician and camera maker, of Irving Street, Birmingham.

Made wooden view cameras, among them several cameras for smaller plate formats.

  • The 1/4-plate Instantograph was one of the better known.
  • A very special model was the Gem Apparatus of 1880, a camera with twelve lenses to shoot the same subject twelve times at once.
Lancaster made its own lenses and had patents for shutters. Other products were magic lanterns. When Lancaster made metal cameras, they were special ones ,such as the telescopic Patent Watch Camera in pocket watch format. Source: Grace's Guide
 
Some background to the Lancaster family. Source: British Newspaper Archive
 

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By 1900 Lancaster were the largest camera comany in the world, and the owner, William James lancaster is regarded as being the man who made amateur photography possible. The earliest record I have of them making cameras was from around 1854. Also if you fancy owning a Lancaster watch camera that @Stokkie mentioned, there is currently one on ebay at £41,470 (to be honest thats a fair price)
 
I think that Eastman Kodak might have had something to do with the development of amateur photography. "You Press the Button, We Do the Rest" The Kodak system enabled rolls to be sent away for development or handed to the chemist. Originally the entire camera was returned.

With a plate camera you have to develop the plate in the dark. Fantastic quality though, because of a big negative and easy to retouch.
 
Stokkie said:
I think that Eastman Kodak might have had something to do with the development of amateur photography. "You Press the Button, We Do the Rest" The Kodak system enabled rolls to be sent away for development or handed to the chemist. Originally the entire camera was returned.

With a plate camera you have to develop the plate in the dark. Fantastic quality though, because of a big negative and easy to retouch.
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Before Lancaster, photography was still expensive and compicated, Lancaster put photography in the hands of 100s of 1000s of people before Kodak came over to the UK... also Kodak took the invention of Alexander Parkes in Birmingham and had better marketing than Pumphrey brothers of Birmingham, which helped Kodak become successful
 
toolate4regrets said:
Before Lancaster, photography was still expensive and compicated, Lancaster put photography in the hands of 100s of 1000s of people before Kodak came over to the UK... also Kodak took the invention of Alexander Parkes in Birmingham and had better marketing than Pumphrey brothers of Birmingham, which helped Kodak become successful
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The history of photography isn't a development from one person or company, but a synthesis of many knowledges and inventions. I think more of us will have owned a Box Brownie than will have a Lancaster. I've developed 4x5 sheet film in trays in my bathroom and the process demands absolute darkness, expensive film and chemicals. I was happy to use a commercial dark room. I know Lancaster used dry plates, but did they ever use roll film backs?
 
Stokkie said:
The history of photography isn't a development from one person or company, but a synthesis of many knowledges and inventions. I think more of us will have owned a Box Brownie than will have a Lancaster. I've developed 4x5 sheet film in trays in my bathroom and the process demands absolute darkness, expensive film and chemicals. I was happy to use a commercial dark room. I know Lancaster used dry plates, but did they ever use roll film backs?
Click to expand...
From The British Journal Photographic almanac :

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So it appears that they did
 
I hoped that Birmingham History would be able to give me some information about J Lancaster and Son. They were major manufacturers and suppliers of photographic equipment and were well known for the Instantograph cameras. The information that I have so far indicates that these models were introduced from about 1892, but an advertisement in the Amateur Photographer in 1884 refers to this model, so clearly it was available in some form earlier.
I understand that by about 1900 Lancaster were possibly the largest supplier of photographic equipment.
Someone must know something or where to find the something.
Any advice will be much appreciated.
Thank you.
 
There is evidence that a Birmingham collector, FE Beverley Hall bought a Lancaster instantograph in 1888. His first bellows-focusing camera.
 
I think it is the same firm - branching out
1898 newspaper advert
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James Lancaster is listed as a steel spectacle maker at 93 Cecil Street in Pigots 1841 directory. By 1845 he is at 67 Hanley Street and 25 Summer Lane, though that seems merely to be on a corner , so has two addresses. In 1850 he is at 7 Summer Lane plying his trade, but by 1855 he is at 5 Colmore Row. In 1867 there is a James Lancaster , manufacturing optician at 5 Colmore Row, but also a James Lancaster (perhaps his son) , steel spectacle maker, at court 1 Sherlock Street. All these, and in 1861 and 1862, just refer to opticians. However Dix's 1858 directory lists:

Dix's directory 1858.jpg

While the 1872 and 1873 directoies list:

Whites directory 1873.jpg
 
Some of these cameras and lenses are works of art on their own - I bet you could get amazing pictures with them.
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Lens J Lancaster and Son

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Achromatic Landscape Lens J Lancaster and Son 1885

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International Folding Bellows Stand Camera J Lancaster and Son 1888

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Instantograph Camera J Lancaster and Son 1885

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Rectigraph Symmetrical Lens J Lancaster and Son 1885
 
All these items are from the Science Museum national collection by the way. It would be fascinating to try a few of these out - they did a similar exercise with the camera Harry Burton used when he did the official photographs of Tutankhamuns tomb in the 1920s.
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Special Instantograph Bellows Camera J Lancaster and Son 1898

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Instantograph Bellows Camera Case and Slides J Lancaster and Son 1887

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Instantograph Camera and Slides J Lancaster and Son 1894

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Instantaneous Landscape Lens J Lancaster and Son 1885
 
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