Sibyl - Original - Antique and Vintage Cameras

Sibyl

1906

Original model

Newman & Guardia Ltd

London

England

Image of Sibyl

Lens:
f6.3, 4.4" Cooke Series III, iris diaphragm to f45. Serial no. 16420 .

Shutter:
Spring powered sector with pneumatic regulation. Speeded 1/2 - 1/100, T. The T setting is achieved by a short depress when set to 1/2. Not self-capping.

Construction:
Leather covered metal body with leather bellows.

Format:
2 ½" x 3 ½" plates held in single metal slides.

Focusing:
Bellows, scale to 2 yards. Single focusing position.

Attributes:
Direct-vision (lens/pointer) view-finder. Post rises and lowers as camera is opened and closed.

Identification:
Aluminium front with cross-hatching. Brass lens cell.

Movements:
Rising front.

Serial Number:
2 .

Sibyl

1906

Original model

Newman & Guardia Ltd

London

England

Image of Sibyl

Lens:
f6.3, 4.4" Cooke Series III, iris diaphragm to f45. Serial no. 16434 .

Shutter:
Spring powered sector with pneumatic regulation. Speeded 1/2 - 1/100, T. The T setting is achieved by a short depress when set to 1/2. Not self-capping.

Construction:
Leather covered metal body with leather bellows.

Format:
2 ½" x 3 ½" plates held in single metal slides.

Focusing:
Bellows, scale to 2 yards. Two focusing positions: slides (marked DS), or film packs (marked FP), using the rear focusing position.

Attributes:
Direct-vision (lens/pointer) view-finder. Post rises and lowers as camera is opened and closed.

Identification:
Aluminium front with cross-hatching. Brass lens cell.

Movements:
Rising front.

Serial Number:
11 .

Notes:
Retailer's name on camera baseboard and inside case: Sands, Hunter & Co. 37 Bedford Street. Strand. WC. (1905 - 1917).

With:
Hooded focusing screen, (probably a later addition).; Film Pack Adapter Serial no. 133.; Case.

Sibyl

1906

Original Model

Newman & Guardia Ltd

London

England

Image of Sibyl

Lens:
f6.5, 4.4" Cooke Series III, iris diaphragm to f45. Serial no. 16450 .

Shutter:
Spring powered sector with pneumatic regulation. Speeded 1/2 - 1/100, T. The T setting is achieved by a short depress when set to 1/2. Not self-capping.

Construction:
Leather covered metal body with leather bellows.

Format:
2 ½" x 3 ½" plates held in single metal slides.

Focusing:
Bellows, scale to 2 yards. Two focusing positions: slides (marked DS), or film packs (marked FP), using the rear focusing position.

Attributes:
Direct-vision (lens/pointer) view-finder. Post rises and lowers as camera is opened and closed.

Identification:
Aluminium front with 'worm' marks.

Movements:
Rising front.

Serial Number:
21 .

With:
12 single metal slides.; FPA.; Single page instructions.; Cable release attachment.

The models here have the original specification: 3 ½" x 2 ½" in size and an aluminium front standard with hatching or worm marks. Within a short while, before serial number 29, the front standard was painted black.

There are some minor differences between the camera with serial number 2 and camera number 11.

  • The earliest has only one focusing position, later there were two for plates or FPA.
  • There is a rising front scale on the side of the shutter housing, it is of no use as the finder is not scaled.
  • The shutter blades are of aluminium and not painted, later they were blackened.
  • The shutter and the shutter setting knob are not marked with the '+' and '-' symbols.
  • The leather covering has a much more pronounced grain.

References & Notes:
N&G Cameras.; N&G Serial Numbers.; Sibyl shutter.; BP 16857/1905. BJA 1906, pp. 142, 875.; BJA 1907, p. 1550-1A.; BJA 1908, p. 80.; BJA 1909, p. 80.; BJA 1910, pp. 80, 658.; BJA 1911, p. 84.; BJA 1912, p. 97.

Further Information:
As well as the above three models of the Original, camera serial number 13 exists with an aluminium front.

Sibyl - Original

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