Manufacturer and Builder
May 1882, Volume 14, Issue 5

Walker's Pocket Photographic Camera.

Amateur photography is a comparatively new and certainly most fascinating and useful occupation and pastime, and is rapidly becoming generally popular. The professional no longer occupies the wonderfully interesting field of photography undisputed. The march of progress has given us the "dry-plate process," By means of which, and with the use of proper apparatus, any one, without experience or previous knowledge of the art, may take fine photographic views of landscapes, buildings, drawings or other objects of interest. All inconvenience and uncertainty in the preparation of what are known as the old "wet" plates (which must he used as soon as pre-pared) is now done away with to make room for the permanently sensitized dry plate, which will retain its properties indefinitely, Both before and after exposure on the view. This great innovation in the art of photography has stimulated a demand for alight, compact and accurate apparatus for the use of amateurs.

Mr. Walker, of the firm of Wm. H. Walker & Co., of Rochester, N.Y., at the Cincinnati Industrial Exposition, held last August, exhibited what is known as Walker's Pocket Camera, with complete photographic outfit for amateurs' use. The pocket camera answers every requirement for the amateur, is made of well-seasoned old cherry, with fine achromatic, wide-angle lens (giving remarkable depth of focus and flatness of field), nickel-plated mountings, adjustable tripod head, with folding legs, and a hard-rubber, double dry-plate holder. It is accurate and compact, weighing but two pounds; size of box outside, 4x4x5 inches, thereby requiring so little room as to be invaluable to tourists who cannot be burdened with cumbersome apparatus.

The accompanying engraving gives a view of this miniature but effective apparatus, representing it mounted ready for use, while the case below, in which it can be packed and swung over the shoulder, gives a good idea of its portability. A complete out-fit consists of the camera as above, also the few and simple chemicals required for developing the plates, a ruby lamp, dark box, one dozen plates, sensitive paper on which to print the photograph, printing frame, card mounts, and an instruction book giving full directions as to details.

By the use of these cameras and outfits, any one, with a very little practice, is enabled to produce fine work. As before stated, the dry plates are capable of retaining the latent image after exposure, indefinitely, so that having become accustomed to judge the proper time a plate should be exposed in a given light, any number of plates may be exposed and packed away during a summer's trip, to be developed at some convenient time at home. The entire process is simple and interesting, and when once attempted, fascinates beyond description. Architects, builders and draughts men will be re-minded, in reading this, of the many ways in which such an instrument may be made useful in their professional work. Mr. Walker has prepared a very interesting and instructive manual on the practice of dry-plate photography, with the taking title of "The Amateur Photographer," from which many additional details may be gleaned by those desirous of inquiring further into the subject. To all such we would suggest writing Messrs. W. H. Walker & Co., Rochester, N. Y.

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