Marlow
Marlow Brothers was a camera maker in Birmingham, England. The company was started in 1866 by Edward Marlow, as Marlow Limited, a dealer in lead and glass among other commodities, who supplied polished glass for photographers' plates, and began making cameras in about 1881 according to Early Photography,[1] or 1883 according to Historic Camera.[2] These were sold wholesale (i.e. for sale under other companies' brands). Marlow Limited was bankrupted in 1893, and Marlow's two sons subsequently began trading as Marlow Brothers.[1] According to Historic Camera, it was not until 1899 that they began to market their cameras under their own name.[2] Shortly after this, in 1902, the company was taken over by the Hurman company of Newcastle upon Tyne. Hurman retained the MB brand, and continued to trade in Birmingham. they were themselves taken over by Kodak in 1904.[3]
Cameras
- MB No. 1: Folding double-extension field camera with front rise and rear tilt. Made in mahogany and brass, in quarter-, half- and full-plate sizes.[4]
- MB No. 2: Fairly similar to the No. 1, but with a simple front-mounted shutter.[5][6]
- MB No. 3: Folding tailboard camera with long extension bellows and Rapid Rectilinear lens, in quarter-, half- and full-plate, 8x10, 10x12 and 12x15 inch sizes.[7]
- MB No. 4: Folding double-extension field camera fairly similar to the No. 1 and 2, but with a Rapid Rectilinear lens and better quality front shutter (Historic Camera describes the camera as having a Thornton Pickard roller shutter,[8] but the example at fotocommunity.de has a Wollensack shutter).[9] Another example at redbellows.co.uk has an unmarked roller shutter.[10] Made in quarter-, half- and full-plate sizes.
- MB No. 5: Folding field camera with long-extension bellows, front rise, and both front and rear tilt. Rapid Rectilinear lens and Thornton Pickard front shutter.[11]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Marlow company history at Early Photography.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Company history at Historic Camera.
- ↑ Hurman company history at Early Photography.
- ↑ MB No. 1 at Historic Camera.
- ↑ MB No. 2 at Historic Camera.
- ↑ MB No. 2 sold in January 1999 at Christie's in London.
- ↑ MB No. 3 at Historic Camera.
- ↑ MB No. 4 at Historic Camera.
- ↑ Quarter-plate MB No. 4 with f/7.7 Beck Double Aplanat and Wollensack pneumatic shutter, at fotocommunity.de
- ↑ Half-plate MB No. 4 at redbellows.co.uk.
- ↑ MB No. 5 at Historic Camera.
