Rochester Camera Co.
Rochester Camera & Supply Co.

Cycle Poco Copying Camera

Date Introduced: - ; Years Manufactured: c. 1898-1899
Construction: rear focus via push-pull, no swing, back does not come off & non-reversing, unique front of camera slides to the side to remove, has bellows hooks on front standard
Materials: cherry wood throughout, brass hardware, black leatherette bellows
Sizes Offered: 6.5x8.5, 8x10 (photographs)
Notes: There are two sections to the bed, both hinged to fold up compactly despite the length of the bellows draw.  This is a camera with a split personality, advertised to be used either for copying, as shown in the engraving, or for taking, as the camera in the photographs.  There is no lensboard, but the entire front slides off to one side.  Presumably one may have had other fronts, so that it may have acted like a lensboard of sorts. The brass clips on both sides of the front standard can be loosened and swiveled 90 degrees to rein in the long bellows, as illustrated in photo 4, above, or to clamp a hand and stand camera to the front, as the engraving illustrates..
References:
Photographic Apparatus, Rochester Camera Co. catalog, 1898, p. 34
Photographic Apparatus, Rochester Camera & Supply Co. catalog, 1899, p. 32
 

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