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Lot Essay
Although it was was not the first rollfilm camera the Kodak camera of 1888 was the first that was commercially successful. The original Kodak made use of gelatine coated paper but the introduction of celluloid film the following year made it possible for imitators to make use of the same material.
H. J. Redding was granted British patent number 17,328 on 28 November 1888. The patent described an instantaneous or detective camera fitted with a roller slide. The film cartridge was inserted into one side of the camera and wound past several guide rollers to a receiving spool, on it's way it passed over a measuring roller which made a clicking sound at each revolution. A pricker was used to mark each length of paper. The camera was fitted with a viewfinder and the camera was to be mounted in a leather case. The shutter was also described in detail.
Redding's arrangement of the film within the camera made for a more compact design. The camera was sold by Redding's employers, J. Robinson & Sons of London. The first model took 70mm. Kodak rollfilm giving negatives 2.4 inches in diameter. In 1890 new models were introduced for pictures up to 3¼ x 4¼ inches and in 1893 models for 5 x 4 inch and half-plate pictures were introduced. The Photography Annual for 1891 described the Luzo as 'a very neat and compact little camera which for neatness and simplicity is not surpassed'.
In 1896 Redding left the Robinson company and with a colleague, E. T. Gyles formed his own company, H. J. Redding & Gyles, which continued to make some models of the Luzo until 1899.
H. J. Redding was granted British patent number 17,328 on 28 November 1888. The patent described an instantaneous or detective camera fitted with a roller slide. The film cartridge was inserted into one side of the camera and wound past several guide rollers to a receiving spool, on it's way it passed over a measuring roller which made a clicking sound at each revolution. A pricker was used to mark each length of paper. The camera was fitted with a viewfinder and the camera was to be mounted in a leather case. The shutter was also described in detail.
Redding's arrangement of the film within the camera made for a more compact design. The camera was sold by Redding's employers, J. Robinson & Sons of London. The first model took 70mm. Kodak rollfilm giving negatives 2.4 inches in diameter. In 1890 new models were introduced for pictures up to 3¼ x 4¼ inches and in 1893 models for 5 x 4 inch and half-plate pictures were introduced. The Photography Annual for 1891 described the Luzo as 'a very neat and compact little camera which for neatness and simplicity is not surpassed'.
In 1896 Redding left the Robinson company and with a colleague, E. T. Gyles formed his own company, H. J. Redding & Gyles, which continued to make some models of the Luzo until 1899.