The camera is based on George Smith's 1881 patent but with a modified tilting back arrangement. Cameras from Sciopticon/G Smith are mentioned in the weekly photographic magazines from 1881, one described as 'a new patent camera with double swinging back', but a full description does not appear until 1887. The tilting back, on this example, employs a short metal cylinder with a screw-threaded projection that can be tightened to the camera top. This seems to be a development of Smith's original swing back ideas.

It is a tailboard type with an additional, similar, board at the front. The front board only needed to be deployed when a long bellows extension was required. When the tailboard is lowered, a sliding wooden plate is pushed over the joint between the tailboard and the camera base. The lightness and sturdiness of the camera was emphasised.

The lens on this example is missing, the description in the Photographer's Indispensable Handbook describes it as comprising five individual lenses that can be combined to make four rapid rectilinear lenses of 3 ½" to 6" focal length as well as being used separately to give up to 12" focus. The lens flange had the screw thread cut away in two places to give a 'push and turn' connection. The plate sizes listed in 1887 were 3 ¼" x 3 ¼" to 7 ½" x 5".

The 'Woodbury Universal Tourist Camera' was also sold by Sciopticon.

The shutter is a single strip of leather with two hexagonal holes, wrapped around a spindle. As one side is lifted by the draw-string the two holes coincide in front of the lens. It is manually operated.