Photographic Apparatus and Chemical Preparations

1856 Catalogue

The Booklet containing the Catalogue

The booklet Practical Photography on Glass and Paper was published by Bland & Long, Opticians in 1854.  The second edition of this book was published in 1856.

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Introduction to the Catalogue

The 1856 edition of this book included a 64-page catalogue of photographic apparatus and chemicals.  Messrs Bland & Long said:

The company also had its own Glass Room for testing processes and lenses, and offered instruction to purchasers.

Below are some of the items featured in this catalogue, and prices charged.

Equipment

Lenses

The cheapest:  6s 0d
1.5ins unmounted Single Achromatic Lens for taking views by Calotype or Collodion process

The most expensive: 16 Gns (=£16 16s 0d)
Mounted Compound Achromatic Lens arranged for views 12ins x 10ins and portraits 8.5ins x 6.5ins

Rigid Cameras

The cheapest:  18s 6d
Mahogany French-polished camera, with single back for paper or glass, and ground focusing glass for pictures 6ins x 5 ins.

The most expensive: £6 0s 0d
Mahogany French-polished camera, with single back for paper or glass, and ground focusing glass for pictures 6ins x 5 ins.  -  fitted with single Achromatic lens 3ins diameter, mounted in brass sliding tube.

Expanding Cameras

The cheapest:  £1 7s 6d
Mahogany French-polished camera, with single back 5ins square, with two loose frames for plates 4.25ins x 3.25ins and 3.25ins x 2.75ins.

The most expensive: £11 10s 0d
Mahogany French-polished camera, with single back 10ins square, with three loose frames for plates 8.5ins x 6.5ins, 6ins x 5ins and 5ins x 4ins, ground focusing glass &c.  Fitted with a foreign lens.

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No 1            No 2

Stereoscopic Cameras

No 1  Simple construction
Sliding front
£3 3s 0d

No 2  Two compound lenses, allowing both pictures to be taken at the same instant.
£5 5s 0d

No 3  Mounted on boards with parallel adjustment.  Single lens 
£6 0s 0d

No 3

Iodine and Bromine Boxes

Single Iodine or Bromine
French pattern
9s 0d to £1 0s 0d

Double Iodine and Bromine
French pattern without mirrors
18s 0d to £1 7s 6d

Compound Iodine and Bromine (illustrated)
£2 5s 0d to £5 0s 0d

Portable Dark Tent

This Portable Dark Tent for working the Collodion in the country (left) can be folded into the box (below).      £5 5s 0d

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 No 2        No 3       No 4

Head Rests

Four varieties of Head Rest were sold.

No 1   was a simple stand.   2s 6d.

No 2   (illustrated)        6s 6d

No 3   (illustrated)   £1 10s 0d

No 4   (illustrated)   £3  3s 0d

Mercury Boxes

Mercury boxes were used to give the mercury coating to Daguerreotype plates.

Bland & Long sold two styles of Mercury Box, each in three sizes.

Mercury Box without window (illustrated)
8s 0d,  12s 0d and 16s 0d.

Mercury Box with window
£1  1s 0d,  £1  7s 6d and £1 15s 0d

Stands with Levelling Screws

Stands with levelling screws were presumably used for coating plates.  The plate would need to be kept level in order to receive an even coating.

Prices:  3s 6d  to  7s 6d.

Glass Spirit Lamps

Glass spirit lamps were sold in several sizes, at prices of:

1s,    1s 6d,    2s,    2s 6d,    5s 0d.

Morocco Cases and Frames

Morocco Cases:  10s 0d to £5 per dozen.

Morocco Frames:  7s 0d to £3 per dozen.

Chemicals

Calotype and Paper
Processes

List of chemicals and prices for the calotype and paper processes.

Collodion and Albumen Glass Processes

List of chemicals and prices for the collodion and albumen glass processes.

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Daguerreotype
Process

List of chemicals and prices for the daguerreotype process.

Complete sets of Photographic Apparatus

The Bland & Long catalogue of 1856 ended with 7 pages of
"Estimates of Complete Sets of Photographic Apparatus."

To see the equipment included in some of the above sets,
please click on one of the sets underlined in the table above.