Photographic accessories 1890-1970

Amateur photography blossomed in the 1880s following the introduction of

easy-to-use photographic glass plates and roll film. To improve the

quality of their pictures, and to extend the range of their cameras,photographers used a wide range of accessories. This book covers the more important types including tripods, filters, exposure aids, flash guns,

rangefinders, lenses and viewfinders, as well as devices for taking and

viewing stereoscopic photographs. Tiny objects were photographed using

close-up aids. Self-timers allowed the photographer to appear in the

pictures, and he or she could even appear twice in the same picture.

Many collectors like to take photographs with their old cameras and it

adds to the enjoyment when they are used with contemporary accessories.

These can be easily found at collectors’ fairs and on internet auction sites. Robert White has been collecting photographic equipment, materials and books since the late 1950s. He has worked as a volunteer at a photographic museum, written over sixty articles for specialist magazines, and given talks to clubs all over Britain. He is the author of the Shire books Discovering Cameras 1945–1965 and Discovering Old Cameras 1839–1939.