Camera - Newman & Guardia Ltd., 'Universa' Special B Camera, London, U.K., circa 1900
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1900
Newman & Guardia Universal camera model Special B for 3 1/4" x 4 1/4' glass plates, circa 1900. Box camera with reddish brown leather-covered body, black leather bellows. The Special B has double extension bellows, two view finders - one on the top and one on the side - and two T-shaped spirit levels alongside each viewfinder. The lens is a Carl Zeiss numbered 76986. This type of camera was commonly referred to as a Detective Camera because the lens was 'concealed' within a body which was in many cases made to look like a despatch box.
Newman & Guardia was founded in 1893 by Arthur Samuel Newman and Julio Guardia. Newman was responsible for the design of the cameras [he owned patents for his shutter designs] and Guardia managed the business side of the company. . Rectangular box camera with bark brown leather caovered body, black bellows and metal lens plate.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- Newman & Guardia
Design
- Inscription
- Inscribed inside camera on lens plate: 'NEWMAN & GUARDIA LTD., PATENT'.
Identification
- Candidate id
- mv-1260926
- Museum object number
- HT 50738
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked single-object source. Wider type attribution and authenticity have not been independently verified.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type and source attribution against specialist references.