Crown Graphic questions

"Grover" wrote

Crown Graphic ...
Is there any site that can date this? or get amanual for it?

http://graflex.org/

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Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Darkroom Automation: F-Stop Timers, Enlarging Meters
http://www.nolindan.com/da/index.htm
n o lindan at ix dot netcom dot com

"Nicholas O. Lindan" wrote in message
k.net...
"Grover" wrote

Crown Graphic ...
Is there any site that can date this? or get amanual for
it?

http://graflex.org/

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Darkroom Automation: F-Stop Timers, Enlarging Meters
http://www.nolindan.com/da/index.htm
n o lindan at ix dot netcom dot com

The Graflex.org site will help to identify an approximate
date but the Graflex serial numbers beginning about the
mid-1950s are a mess. Roger Adams, the former manager of
Graflex Western Division, who was writing a history of the
company, told me that serial numbers were issued in blocks.
Not all the numbers were used, and that some serial number
blocks were re-used. Some of the records were missing. So,
up to the Pacemaker series dating by serial number can be
done but beginning with the Pacemaker its not very reliable.
The first Crown Graphic was a Pacemaker series camera so you
will have to be satisfied with an approximate date based on
features, etc. Note that the type of back can be misleading.
The Graflok back was made available for 4x5 cameras about
1951 but it can be re-fitted to most Graphic and Graflex
models, so the fact that a Pacemaker has a Graflok back
instead of a Graphic back does not necessarily make it a
late camera. Side vs: top rangefinder models are an
approximate clue as to age.
When buying or selling a camera condition counts for much
more than age.
Note also that lens serial numbers are not very helpful
because they can be so easily interchanged. Also, I don't
know of any database of Wollensak serial numbers. Kodak lens
dates are easy beginning about 1940. A two letter prefix was
begun then indicating the last two digits of the year. The
key word is CAMEROSITY for the numerals 1,2,3, etc.


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Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA