What is this? (Page 2): It looks as if it is part of a surveyors transit as someone has already stated. It looks as if it sets on top of leveling plate of the tripod and the rest of...

Say Cheese Loc: Eastern PA

It looks as if it is part of a surveyors transit as someone has already stated. It looks as if it sets on top of leveling plate of the tripod and the rest of the transit attaches to that piece.

MCHUGH Loc: Jacksonville, Texas

E.L.. Shapiro wrote:

The Elwood 8x10 Enlarger was an extremely heavy ma... (show quote)

I think you have hit the nail on the head. The grey and finish of the item is like the old Elwood enlarger that I was part of the purchase. I knew the previous owner many years before he sold it and semi retired. He was one of those photographers that would use something like this. and your ad mentioned the accessories available for owners of the enlarger. I really appreciate your help and all the other members of UHH. Ya'll never let me down when I need an answer. Thank all of you so very much.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

MCHUGH wrote:

I am attaching a photo of what I think is an old piece of darkroom equipment. It was part of an old photographic studio I bought many years ago. I am selling most of the old items from that purchase but this was not something I was sure of its use. I think it was an adjustable easel base to correct perspective when making prints with converging lines. Since we have many older darkroom experienced members I am hoping one will know exactly what I have. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

It is called a "whatchamacallit".

MCHUGH Loc: Jacksonville, Texas

I don't know why they did not put the name and model number on the product. I think E.L.. Shapiro was right in thinking it was part of an old 8x10 Elwood enlarger. There was one as part of the purchase which I only used on rare occasions when I was in business. Sold it to a lady that had worked for the previous photographer many years as a darkroom tech a few years after buying the old studio.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

billnikon wrote:

It is called a "whatchamacallit".

I was thinking more along the lines of thingamajig. We are probably both correct depending on our geographical location.

Dennis

BillFeffer Loc: Adolphus, KY

Part of an equatorial telescope mont?

edazz Loc: Florida via New York

MCHUGH wrote:

I am attaching a photo of what I think is an old piece of darkroom equipment. It was part of an old photographic studio I bought many years ago. I am selling most of the old items from that purchase but this was not something I was sure of its use. I think it was an adjustable easel base to correct perspective when making prints with converging lines. Since we have many older darkroom experienced members I am hoping one will know exactly what I have. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

It’s a surveyors tilt head.

Thorburn Loc: Virginia

It looks like a tri-pod head for a surveyors tri-pod to hold their scope.

Indi Loc: L. I., NY, Palm Beach Cty when it's cold.

Perhaps it’s a telescope mount?

aellman Loc: Boston MA

MCHUGH wrote:

I am attaching a photo of what I think is an old piece of darkroom equipment. It was part of an old photographic studio I bought many years ago. I am selling most of the old items from that purchase but this was not something I was sure of its use. I think it was an adjustable easel base to correct perspective when making prints with converging lines. Since we have many older darkroom experienced members I am hoping one will know exactly what I have. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

A wild guess: based on the scales in degrees,it may be a vintage mount for a telescope, not a camera. It's design and material suggests 1950s period.

aellman Loc: Boston MA

MCHUGH wrote:

I am attaching a photo of what I think is an old piece of darkroom equipment. It was part of an old photographic studio I bought many years ago. I am selling most of the old items from that purchase but this was not something I was sure of its use. I think it was an adjustable easel base to correct perspective when making prints with converging lines. Since we have many older darkroom experienced members I am hoping one will know exactly what I have. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

I don't think it has any connection with a darkroom. I'm betting on a tripod quick release. The two scales in degrees suggest a telescope rather than a camera. Looks like a 1950s or 1960s vintage. >Alan

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

MCHUGH wrote:

I am attaching a photo of what I think is an old piece of darkroom equipment. It was part of an old photographic studio I bought many years ago. I am selling most of the old items from that purchase but this was not something I was sure of its use. I think it was an adjustable easel base to correct perspective when making prints with converging lines. Since we have many older darkroom experienced members I am hoping one will know exactly what I have. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

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It looks like it may have been part of a tripod of some sort.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

MCHUGH wrote:

I did see something on a tv program about forensic work and they use something like it to correct camera angle on a photo taken that oriented both tilt and angle of the camera for something they wanted corrected.

Perhaps it was used to correct perspective or view angle, much like a tilt shift lens?

MCHUGH Loc: Jacksonville, Texas

All that have suggested that it has to do with a surveyors tripod sounds good but the previous owner would have not had any reason to have or use any kink of surveyors equipment. I knew him for many years and that just was not anything I would associate with him. Same would be as a telescope mount. I really think that E.L.. Shapiro idea about part of an 8x10 Elwood enlarger is going to be the correct answer. There was an 8x10 Elwood enlarger in the studio when I bought it and the Elwood ad he showed would connect correctly. Thanks for all the ideas though; there have been some really good ideas.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

E.L.. Shapiro wrote:

The vernier scale on the upper part of the unit may have been intended to coordinate with view camera movements.

I agree with your assessment that it's likely part of an enlarger easel stand, but a small correction. That's not a Vernier scale, it's just an angle indicator. A Vernier would require some means of fine adjustment, which this doesn't have, with just a locking know.

Seems kind of clunky, but durable. Just not very useful for fine adjustments holding a heavy easel. The limit of 90 degrees rotational adjustment also indicates a photographic use, as it's the difference between horizontal and vertical framing.

Andy