Tisdell & Whittlesey Detective Camera
Invented by Abner Tisdell
Manufactured by Tisdell & Whittlesey
130 Fulton Street
New York, N.Y.
ca. 1888
Ex-collection Michael Kramer
The Tisdell & Whittlesey was a detective-box camera for single exposures on 3 1/4” x 4 1/4” dry plates. This early version had a wood finish with a truncated pyramid while later models after 1893 had an internal bellows for focusing and were covered in pebble-grained leather. Quite rare.
![T&W Top Open Horizontal.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/651719441ff2ba6d6a981dd8/35855ad4-412f-4645-9331-9e4d6b8fb752/T%26W+Top+Open+Horizontal.jpg)
![T&W Top Open Prime.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/651719441ff2ba6d6a981dd8/33d0d087-fd47-4f8e-b674-adab5755fb47/T%26W+Top+Open+Prime.jpg)
![T&W Rear Flap Closed.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/651719441ff2ba6d6a981dd8/0c495b4d-d6a8-4b98-a5f4-884ad64f66b9/T%26W+Rear+Flap+Closed.jpg)
![T&W Rear Flap Open.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/651719441ff2ba6d6a981dd8/8677c027-fc42-474e-9642-20d121b82435/T%26W+Rear+Flap+Open.jpg)
![T&W Top Strap.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/651719441ff2ba6d6a981dd8/f3f06f39-c98e-4ace-a38b-2053bed9c546/T%26W+Top+Strap.jpg)
![image004.gif](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/651719441ff2ba6d6a981dd8/a4974934-2987-4ad6-947e-74bae0328971/image004.gif)
![image006.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/651719441ff2ba6d6a981dd8/a5cc55a5-68ad-4940-99bb-39c39a065dbc/image006.jpg)
![image010.gif](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/651719441ff2ba6d6a981dd8/5032cb5b-7927-4194-a9ce-d0e31c207a2e/image010.gif)
![image012.gif](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/651719441ff2ba6d6a981dd8/368195b5-10d9-433a-a1a0-1abc1606ea6c/image012.gif)