George Hare Maharajah Sliding Box Camera

outfit of half-plate sliding box camera for wet collodion and dry plates, polished mahogany body, lacquered-brass inset binding strips and fittings, the camera back with rack and pinion horizontal and vertical adjustment with locking screws, removable focusing screen, the top with ivory inset label: MANUFACTURED EXPRESSLY FOR H.H. THE MAHARAJAH OF PUNNAH, BUNDELCUND.BY GEORGE HARE,LONDON. One mahogany 7x9 inch darkslide for wet plate, three mahogany 7x9 inch double darkslides, three mahogany 6.5 x 6.5 inch double darkslides, mahogany flap shutter, five Ross brass lenses (8x5in SA Doublet no.18104, 7 1/4 x 4 1/2in OA Doublet no.18027 with wheel diaphragm, 7 1/4 x 4 1/2in OA Doublet no.17066 with wheel diaphragm and internal shutter, No.1 Cabinet no. 20664 with waterhouse stops, No.2A Extra Rapid no.20845 with waterhous stops), three seperate lensboards, three mahogany tripod legs, various accessories, all in two fitted wooden boxes (the chest for the camera has a silver plate engraved with the coat of arms of the Maharajah + MADE EXPRESSLY FOR H.H.THE MAHARAJAH OF PUNNAH, BUNDELCUND.BY GEORGE HARE, LONDON - this unique and complete outfit made by special order was very advanced for the 1870s. It was acquired by Paul-Henry van Hasbroeck in Calcutta in 1975 and is illustrated on the front page and plate II of his book '150 Classic Cameras', described on pages 33-35, ex Barron collection