Question about a Wollensak shutter

[dehk]

My friend got a Wollensak shutter in a bag of goodies we are wondering about its application and how much it is worth.

It's a Victus Shutter by Wollensak Optical Co, Rochester NY.
Brass Front, Black (Paint) Back. Trigger and Pump action.
2 Blades, Shutter speed as, T, B , 1/100, 1/50, 1/25
(Front and back) Thread is about 1 3/4 " or about 48-49mm.

In front of the shutter, there is another brass tube measuring 1 1/2 inch tall.
The tube says The SUNFLOWER, JR, J. F. Standiford, Fort Scott, Kansas.
Threads are different on the TOP of the tube.

Anyone knows if these are for 8x10 or? and does it worth anything?

Thank you in advance,
Derek

[jnanian]

hi derek

i wasn't able to find exactly what you asked about
but i googled " wollensak victus " and found advertisements and articles.
it seems that the victus shutter was released by wollensak along with the
regno and autex shutters.

it looks like the lens / shutter was from around 1910 +/- a few years.

camera eccentric.com has catalogs from before 1910, and a few years later,
before 1910 wollensak made shutters called "winner", "regular" and "automatic" ( dial on top )

there are also catalogs by 1916 there are more modern shutters
http://cameraeccentric.com/html/info/wollensak_1.html ...
if you look around page 27, you will see the regno and optimo, but no victus ( they do have a victo though )
so it was a shutter they sold for a few years, and changed the name ...

jf standford was a portrait photographer and had a studio in fort scott kansas
he also had a mail order photography business and sold cameras with his name on them ...

i think the name "sunflower jr. " was a camera "kit" standiford sold,
maybe was a cycle camera ( large format clamshell box camera ) ...

your friend should be able to figure out coverage pretty easy ..
project an image of something distant on a wall, or stick it on
an 8x10 camera and see what the circle is ...
my guess is that it is an anastigmatic lens, not a rapid rectalinaer.
your friend might try removing a cell to see if it converts and covers an 8x10 negative.


if you are interested ..
an article on standiford

http://www.muskogeehistorian.com/200...tographer.html

if you google his name, you will find magazine articles about him, and his business selling cameras.


an article in google books that mentions the victus shutter

http://books.google.com/books?id=N7M...victus&f=false

advertisements for standford's cameras

http://books.google.com/books?id=NvN...camera&f=false


and an advertisement in 1913 when standiford was selling his well established mail order photo supply business

http://books.google.com/books?id=Hrk...camera&f=false

have fun !

john

[Sirius Glass]

I could not find anything about the shutter or the lens in Vade Mecum. I searched under Wollensak and separately for "Standiford" and "Sunflower".

Would you post photographs of it?

Also post on: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/ It is more likely that someone there may know something about the shutter and the lens.

Steve

[dehk]

Quick reply before I have to run.

And thanks jnanian for the details, however my shutter is only a shutter unit a does not come with a lens, I will read up more when I get back.

I will upload a photo of it for now.

[E. von Hoegh]

Shutters are not format specific.

[jnanian]

hi again derek

a shutter is just a shutter .. it could be for any format .
i was under the impression that there was a lens mounted on the shutter
and the lens was engraved with the maker / shop's name ..

i think the brass "tubes" might be where the lens elements were mounted
and then mounted on the shutter.


have fun !
john

[dehk]

First of all thank you for everyone's help, greatly appreciated.

Now,if my friend would throw it on ebay what should we expect money wise?