THORNTON-PICKARD HORIZONTAL ENLARGER
Whilst not strictly in the projected image phenomena this instrument deserves a place in this Collection. Glass plate cameras were predominant until the wide use of film and then a piece afterwards. Very big enlargements of those photographic plate images could be obtained with these enlargers. They held their place until the introduction of vertical enlargers.

In the early days of photography the enlarging of photographs was very much a manual affair. Early enlarging was achieved by a horizontal enlarger much as seen here.

Nearly always of wooden construction, as were the glass plate cameras of the day, they used quite primitive methods of illumination. The carrier for the glass plate is clearly seen before the bellows and there were lenses to concentrate the light source as well as the focal variety at the head of the enlarger.

This example had electric light for its light source as there is a Brass lampholder fitted to the rear of the lamphouse. With the chimney above the lamphouse however it could well have originally have been fitted with any earlier light source.

Donated by Peter Stamp