Lancaster Gem Apparatus

J. Lancaster & Son
Birmingham, England
ca. 1880

Ex-collection Dr. Stephen Shohet

The Lancaster Gem Apparatus produced twelve identical gem - sized images (less than 1” square) with a single exposure. There were four rows of three lenses each. Small inexpensive photographs produced on ferrotype plates were very popular in the 1880s and 1890s. The lenses were focused on ground glass simultaneously and internal partitions kept the images separated. An opening in the sliding front panel served as the shutter, making manually timed exposures. The Gem Apparatus was constructed of polished mahogany.