An early 20th Century folding field camera from the workshops of George Houghton of High Holborn, London, and with retailers plaque for the Westminster Photographic Exchange of Oxford Street, London. Dating to around 1910, this is the company's 'Victo' model, which was introduced in 1898. It is in the British Half Plate (4¾” x 6½”) format, is constructed of wood and brass and features a triple-extension leather bellows. The unmarked lens is housed within a Thornton Pickard 'Time and Instantaneous' mechanical shutter (working), and the camera is complete with a correctly fitting 'double-dark slide' plate holder. The bellows extension is by rack and pinion, there is a turntable arrangement to the tripod mount, and the camera back can be set to either landscape or portrait orientation. The brass maker's plaque to the front is engraved 'Victo' and the Ivorine (early celluloid) plate to the rear is for the retailer. The camera measures 48cm at maximum extension, and stands 26cm high.

George Houghton established his company in 1834, operating first as an importer of glass plates for wet plate photography but later becoming one of the UK’s most prominent and respected camera makers, employing more than 1,000 men. The company's 'Ensign House' headquarters (pictured) were destroyed in a bombing raid at the start of World War 2.

Condition: The woodwork survives in great shape, protected by its original French Polish and still with good colour and shine and only very minor scuffs and scratches. The brass-work is generally good, again bearing its original protective lacquer but with some oxidation and tarnishing as shown. The bellows are generally very good and light tight, largely free from wear, with the exception of some localised damage to the right hand side (arrowed) where the leather is very thin. Most likely this has been caused by some careless folding of the camera in the past (to avoid damage, always fold the front of the camera first - as in the penultimate image - so that the struts are clear of the bellows, then collapse the back). A small patch will be required if the camera is to be used, rather than just placed on display. The bellows extension operates correctly, without wear to the rack and pinion. The lens optics are clear, and free from any obvious chips, cracks, haze or fungus - just the normal light cleaning marks. The barrel of the lens shows some wear and tarnishing, and the Waterhouse stops are absent. Nonetheless, the camera focuses correctly. The mechanical shutter is in good working condition, and the blind is also in good condition. The plate holder is a correct fit and in good condition.