From a Collector’s Point of View
I never set out to become an expert in the history of photography—nor do I claim to be one today. That realm has always seemed best suited to devoted scholars and passionate collectors who immerse themselves in the nuances of early photographic processes and how they transformed the way we perceive the world.
What I have had, for more than fifty years, is a deep and enduring love for early cameras—the elegance of their designs, the precision of their mechanics, and the powerful stories captured through their lenses.
Likewise, I never intended to assemble a comprehensive collection of antique cameras. But somehow, over the years, it happened—first gradually, then with a joyful surge of acquisitions in more recent times.
The pages that follow offer a glimpse into the history of photography, as seen through the lens of my collection. It’s not exhaustive, but it is personal—an invitation to share in the beauty, innovation, and narrative power of these remarkable Devices.
I hope you enjoy! Stu Fabe
Zograscope
Polyorama Panoptique
Schoenner Magic Lantern
Camera Obscura 1820s
Brass Camera Obscura
Wooden Camera Obscura
American Daguerreotype
French Daguerreotype
Lewis Daguerreotype
Sliding Box Wet Plate
Bertsch Wet Plate
Dubroni No. 2
Six-Lens Sliding Box
Rouch Four-Lens
French Four-Lens Wet Plate
Lancaster Gem
Fallowfield Nine Lens
Bon Ton Ferrotype Camera
Carte de Visite
Dallmeyer Stereo
Lancaster Special Stereo
Shew Stereo
Anthony Stereo Novelette
Fallowfield Stereo
Billcliff Stereo
Francais Stereo Camera
French Stereo Graphoscope
Simon Wing Camera
Royal Mail Stamp Camera
Gray's Vest Camera
Scenographe
Scovill Oak Detective
Pullman Detective Camera
Tisdell & Whittlesey
Scovill Detective Camera
Kodak No. 1 String-Set
luzo camera
Ford's Tom Thumb
Griffin Cyko No. 1
Darlot Rapide
ABC Ordinary Kodak
Demon Camera
Passe Partout
Faller Ferrotype
Pocket Kozy Camera
Sigriste Jumelle
Marion Academy
Bruns Detective
Photosphere
Lancaster Rover
Photoret
Expo Watch Camera
Kombi Graphoscope
Mendel Strut Camera
Blair Lucidograph
Rochester Optical Co. New Model Improved
Anthony Champion
Rouch Tailboard
Putnam Marvel
Blair Cincinnati Reversible Back
English Tailboard
Baird Folding Hand Camera
Anthony Ascot No. 1
Pathe Baby Movie Camera
Photo Ephemera