Le Merveilleux

The Le “Merveilleux” (as spelt on the nameplate) was made by J. Lancaster & Son of Birmingham from about 1880 and was fitted with a brass Lancaster lens. A clever design feature on the early models was a square back that took a slotted double plate holder in either vertical or horizontal position. Lancaster later patented a different (hinged) back which was used on their other cameras, notably the Instantograph.

Plate holder can be mounted either vertically or horizontally. image by Geoff Harrisson (Image rights)

Le Merveilleux ¼-plate 1886 image by Geoff Harrisson (Image rights)