Camera: Rochester Optical Co. “Cyko Reko”

There aren’t very many appliances that live past 100 years in our modern society. the closest things to the possible longevity of a memory is a tool. Tools are meant to last or die with use. I speak of longevity because in these old cameras outlive their owners several times over, meaning both in life span and in their interest in photography or until the camera becomes a forgotten memory.

Interrogatives:
how many people owned this camera before me?
how many lives has the camera clicked it’s shutter from within?
these are mysteries

between the late 1800s and the early 1900s someone heard the same shutter click that i am hearing in 2010.

That all being said, I found yet another Rochester Optical Co. camera today.
a little info from another site:
The Cyko Reko Camera was manufactured by the Rochester Optical Company from approximately 1899 to 1905. Designed as an export model, although also sold in America. It was similar to the pony premo D camera and took images 4 x 5 inches in size. This Camera was constructed of highly polished mahogany wood on the interior, covered with seal grain leather on the outside and housed a red leather bellows. It was fitted with a rapid rectilinear lens and unicum shutter with finger and pneumatic release. Other features include a swing back, rising and falling front, room to store two extra plate.

interestingly enough i cannot find anything that looks like mine though. mine doesn’t have the same type of lens. this requires a more research.

so here are pictures of the camera I purchased:

so this is the click that spanned almost 100 years. who knows the last time someone put any film inside this tool and let it do it’s job.

first a double exposure on Fuji FP-3000b

second taken on 4×5 polaroid.

So this beauty shoots 4×5 film. the downside is the groundglass/film holder doesn’t allow everyday use with my Fuji instant film holder, nor my Grafmatic Back. which leaves me with two choices:
1. using standard 2 sheet film holders. this isn’t a big deal when school is in and i have free access to a changing room to load/unload film. not to mention the free development chemistry for black and white negs.

2. using my Polaroid #545i sheet film holder.
this is my preferred option since i can shoot not only 4×5 Polaroids, but also Fuji QuickLoad and Kodak ReadyLoad film formats without using a dark room.

so now i’m putting word out:
i am trying to get my hands on Fuji QuickLoad, Kodak ReadyLoad, or any of the Polaroid 4×5 that doesn’t require a coater or special development. the name of the game is (obviously) as much quantity for as little cost.

an aside:
the face in the lens was a little fun on my part, see today’s daily post.