Deardorff

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Deardorff was a maker of large format cameras, founded by Laben Deardorff in 1923 [1], in Chicago, IL, USA.

Cameras

Deardorff's first camera was a folding 8X10 field camera, later developed into the renowned Deardorff V8. The same V8 model was continually improved and received a major update in 1950, and was produced largely unchanged until 1989 when the company filed for bankruptcy and ceased production. Deardorff cameras were made from Honduran Mahogany wood (today, an illegal export from Honduras) with brass and aluminum hardware. For the most part the finish of the cameras was a dark cherry wood color, which varied over the years. Deardorff made various formats of folding cameras including 4x5, 5x7, 8x10 and 11x14. The company also produced massive floor standing studio cameras such as the 8x10 Deardorff.

After the demise of the company in 1989, the Deardorff brand name went through various ownerships, however, all of those failed to revive the company or mass produce cameras again.

Users

Even though Deardorff made relatively few cameras, many well known photographers have been known to shoot with a Deardorff camera, among them Nicholas Nixon, Jim Dow and others.

Notes

Links

Companies of Chicago (Illinois)
Adams & Westlake | Central Camera Co. | American Advertising and Research Co. | Bernard | Burke & James | Busch | Calumet | Candid | Chicago Aerial | Chicago Camera Co. | Chicago Ferrotype Company | Deardorff | De Vry | Drucker | Galter | Geiss | Herold | Imperial | Kemper | Lennor Engineering Co. | Metropolitan Industries | Monarch | Montgomery Ward | Pho-Tak | QRS Company | Rolls | Sans & Streiffe | Sears | Seymour | Spartus | The Camera Man | United States Camera Co. | Western Camera Manufacturing Co. | Yale | Zar | Zenith
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