N&G De Luxe - Antique and Vintage Cameras

N&G De Luxe

1905

Open back version

Newman & Guardia Ltd

London

England

Image of N&G De Luxe Open back version

Lens:
f6.3, 5" Zeiss Double Protar Series VIIa No. 4, iris diaphragm to f45. Combinable lens: f12.5, 9" front and back groups. Serial no. 76983 (1905).

Shutter:
N&G, sector type, spring powered with pneumatic regulation, speeds 1/2 - 1/200. T setting by short pressure on release with shutter set to 1/2 second.

Construction:
Leather covered mahogany body.

Format:
3 ¼" x 4 ¼" plates.

Focusing:
Bellows to 20" with combined lens, focusing scales to 2 yards. Scale to 4 yards for 9" single lens. Double extension.

Attributes:
Reflecting view-finder, spirit levels. Revolving back. Depth-of-field scale.

Movements:
Rising front.

Serial Number:
DL1921 .

Notes:
Address plaque on camera and slide adapter: Newman & Guardia Ltd. 90 & 92 Shaftesbury Avenue. London. W. (1897 - 1909). Address on box: Newman & Guardia Ltd. 63 Newman Street. London. W (1929 - 1938).

With:

  • Changing box for 12 plates, bag type. With 12 plate holders and pressure slide. Serial no. 4367.
  • Plaubel roll-film back (1930s) for 8 exposures on 120 roll-film.
  • Single metal slide adapter by N&G.
  • Focusing screen.

The De Luxe is a Universal series camera that incorporates some of the features of the recently introduced Square Reflector such as the rotating back, pull-out double extension and screw adjustment to the rising front. The new double extension arrangement made the camera much more compact. On the Open Back version the size was further reduced by doing away with the rear chamber holding the changing box. A new shutter was designed having a higher top speed.

Two versions were made, an Open Back model where the film holder clipped on to the back of the camera and an enclosed model where the changing box etc. was in an internal compartment, similar to the older Universals. At £30.0.0 the De Luxe was considerably more expensive than a Special B. Although it appeared more modern than the older Universals 1905 was late to bring out a high-specification detective camera. Judging by the number that exist today not many were sold. Production ceased before World War I. Only one size was advertised.

This example must have had a long working life as with considerable effort a roll-holder from the mid 1930s has been fitted. The finish suggests the work was carried out by N&G.

References & Notes:
N&G Cameras. N&G Serial Numbers. N&G Universal shutter. BJA 1906, pp. 129, 640. BJA 1907, p. 1550. BJA 1908, p. 88. BJA 1909, p. 84. BJA 1910, p. 85. BJA 1911, p. 89. BJA 1912, p. 99. BJA 1913, p. 104.


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