Early American Daguerreotype Camera

American, Boston, early 1840's., possibly John Plumbe Jr. or John Roberts, for exposures 2½ x 3" on 2 3/4 x 3¼" plates, the mahogany box-within-box sliding body with large lens consisting of two plano-convex elements separated by annular wooden spacers, symmetrically mounted in a brass barrel, behind round opening in camera front acting as an aperture, coarse focus adjustment by sliding lens on track inside, the back fine focusing by large brass knob at the front of the camera onto ground glass 3½ x 4", reflecting onto removable mirror, and visible through hinged lid at top. With three plate holders, two 2½ x 3", one 1 3/4 x 2¼", three of the items stamped "VIII", and a plate vise for 3¼ x 4¼" plates. The camera is 6 x 6 3/4 x 12". Together with 3 early daguerreotypes in leather cases taken with the camera and three additional early daguerreotype leather cases. This camera is in outstanding condition, beautifully finished in a mahogany similar to that used for elegant furniture of the period. Focusing is by a rack-and-pinion mechanism operated by a knob on the camera's front which varies the distance between the inner box (which accommodates the plate holder) and the outer box on which the lens is permanently mounted. A mirror at the focal plane reflects the image upwards. This system, used on several early daguerreotype cameras, might be considered a very crude form of reflex focusing. While quite unique in appearance and design, the camera body incorporates several features similar to those found in some of the Roberts cameras from the late 1840's, while the lens is similar to that in Plumbe's cameras from the early 1840's. The camera was owned by a Dentist, Dr. R.B. Baynes, who practiced in Boston in the early 1840's and, by 1850, was living in Belfast, Maine. The camera comes with two handbills advertising Dr. Banynes" services. This camera was exhibited at the George Eastman House Sept. 6, 1980 to Jan. 1, 1981 and is illustrated in the catalogue of the