CENTURY PETITE GRAND CAMERA — 3¼x5½ 3A Postcard – Very Rare — Ca. 1910
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:31163942 | Model: Petite Grand |
| Type: Self-casing | Country/Region of Manufacture: United States |
| Color: Black, mahogany, brass | Format: 3¼x5½ 3A Postcard |
| Brand: Century Camera |
A Century Petite Grand (n° 57209) for 3¼x5½-inch 3A postcard format in exquisite and fully working condition. Almost never do I use the term rare. Rare applies here as this camera is the only one that I have seen since I became fascinated with Century cameras. To the best of my research the Century Petite Grand was introduced in 1910 and may have only been offered that year.
A 4x5 6¼-in US4 (ƒ8) Centar Series II lens is fitted. A convertible lens, the front an...d rear elements can be used separately at twice the focal length. My assumption is that this lens is a Dallmeyer Rapid Rectilinear design and most likely made by Wollensak. The 1910 Century catalogue describes it as "a Symmetrical type of lens perfectly achromatic, rectilinear and of superior covering power and definition. Under bright light, a few flecks of haze can be seen in the front doublet. The rear is almost free of haze. No cleaning marks.
The shutter is a N°1 Century Automatic, most certainly from Wollensak. B and T work at they should. The fast settings — 1/100s, 1/50s, 1/25s — all sound the same speed. The slow speeds — 1/5s, 1/2s, 1s — are to my eye close to right. The speed piston resets itself properly for 1s. A CLA should be undertaken if you are planning to use this camera for photography.
The gallery illustrates the cosmetics of this camera. The Russian red leather bellows, which are lined with rubber cloth, are soft and fold as they should. All motions are smooth. While the lacquer on the metal work is tarnished, it will clean up to reveal the underlying brass. The black, special grain cowhide is free of dings and scrapes. All I did to it, when I got the camera, was to treat it with a high-quality leather cleaner and leather conditioner.
The bellows — both the red leather outside and the black rubber inside — show no visual evidence that they are not light tight. I did a quick test with my four-cell MagLight in a dark room and saw no evidence of light leaks.
The Petite Grand added a swing back to the 3¼x5½ Petite Century N°3. It is the swing back that makes it a Grand! That back plus a side-swing and a rising and falling front gave it features that no other postcard camera — like the N°3A Folding Pocket Kodak — had to offer. One note: A N°3A F.P.K. looks like a Ford Model T of the same era, compared with the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost styling of the Century Petite Grand with its rich leather, wood and brass work.
The rising and falling front is controlled by a rack-n-pinon with a knob on the top of the front standard. The quality of the Century design is seen with an arrow and mark that indicates the on-axis position.
One postcard plate holder is included, as is a pack film holder that is perfect to convert for wet plates. More post card holders of the proper size are to be had on eBay. The width of this plate holder is 101.2mm and is the same as what came with a Conley Model XV in my selection of postcard cameras. The Conley postcard plate holders are stamped Folmer & Schwing Div. E.K.Co. with a patent date of Oct. 25, 1904. The same patent date is to be found faintly stamped in the wood on the plate holder here, but it does not have the F&S provenance.
Add this rare camera to your collection or lash out for some silver-halide emulsion on glass dry plates and take some photographs that will amaze your friends. While I have a jones for the 3¼x5½ postcard format, I’m pruning my selection down to those I use.
This Petite Grand has been professionally packed and is ready to go. My goal is to ship no later than the day after receipt of payment. It will be shipped with insurance by USPS Priority Mail. International shipping by eBay Global.
My sales are only of my own goods and I take a lot of pride in what I offer. If there is any issue at all, please contact me right away so that it can be made right.
A 4x5 6¼-in US4 (ƒ8) Centar Series II lens is fitted. A convertible lens, the front an...d rear elements can be used separately at twice the focal length. My assumption is that this lens is a Dallmeyer Rapid Rectilinear design and most likely made by Wollensak. The 1910 Century catalogue describes it as "a Symmetrical type of lens perfectly achromatic, rectilinear and of superior covering power and definition. Under bright light, a few flecks of haze can be seen in the front doublet. The rear is almost free of haze. No cleaning marks.
The shutter is a N°1 Century Automatic, most certainly from Wollensak. B and T work at they should. The fast settings — 1/100s, 1/50s, 1/25s — all sound the same speed. The slow speeds — 1/5s, 1/2s, 1s — are to my eye close to right. The speed piston resets itself properly for 1s. A CLA should be undertaken if you are planning to use this camera for photography.
The gallery illustrates the cosmetics of this camera. The Russian red leather bellows, which are lined with rubber cloth, are soft and fold as they should. All motions are smooth. While the lacquer on the metal work is tarnished, it will clean up to reveal the underlying brass. The black, special grain cowhide is free of dings and scrapes. All I did to it, when I got the camera, was to treat it with a high-quality leather cleaner and leather conditioner.
The bellows — both the red leather outside and the black rubber inside — show no visual evidence that they are not light tight. I did a quick test with my four-cell MagLight in a dark room and saw no evidence of light leaks.
The Petite Grand added a swing back to the 3¼x5½ Petite Century N°3. It is the swing back that makes it a Grand! That back plus a side-swing and a rising and falling front gave it features that no other postcard camera — like the N°3A Folding Pocket Kodak — had to offer. One note: A N°3A F.P.K. looks like a Ford Model T of the same era, compared with the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost styling of the Century Petite Grand with its rich leather, wood and brass work.
The rising and falling front is controlled by a rack-n-pinon with a knob on the top of the front standard. The quality of the Century design is seen with an arrow and mark that indicates the on-axis position.
One postcard plate holder is included, as is a pack film holder that is perfect to convert for wet plates. More post card holders of the proper size are to be had on eBay. The width of this plate holder is 101.2mm and is the same as what came with a Conley Model XV in my selection of postcard cameras. The Conley postcard plate holders are stamped Folmer & Schwing Div. E.K.Co. with a patent date of Oct. 25, 1904. The same patent date is to be found faintly stamped in the wood on the plate holder here, but it does not have the F&S provenance.
Add this rare camera to your collection or lash out for some silver-halide emulsion on glass dry plates and take some photographs that will amaze your friends. While I have a jones for the 3¼x5½ postcard format, I’m pruning my selection down to those I use.
This Petite Grand has been professionally packed and is ready to go. My goal is to ship no later than the day after receipt of payment. It will be shipped with insurance by USPS Priority Mail. International shipping by eBay Global.
My sales are only of my own goods and I take a lot of pride in what I offer. If there is any issue at all, please contact me right away so that it can be made right.
