Strange Photo Easel: Can anyone tell me how this easel is supposed to work and what it's for. The yellow heavy, metal base with slightly upturned sides measures 12 inches by 15 inches.

weedhook

Can anyone tell me how this easel is supposed to work and what it's for. The yellow heavy, metal base with slightly upturned sides measures 12 inches by 15 inches. The black, metal part that fits down into the base measures approximately the same size as the base. The opening in the center of the black part measures 4 inches by 5 inches. It would seem that you are supposed to place a 12x15 sheet of enlarging paper in the base and cover it with the black plate. Then you would expose the paper to print a 4x5 photo in the middle of the paper. That does not seem logical because it would waste almost all of the enlarging paper. Obviously, you could place a smaller size paper, even a 4x5 inch paper to get the print, but why go to all that trouble when you could achieve the same thing by just using a standard easel. I got this at a rummage sale years ago, but never had a chance to use it. If anyone has any ideas, I would appreciate the information.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Guessing it makes the photo have its own "matte", but I never heard of 12x15 photo paper.

weedhook

Me either, but I guess you could trim a larger piece.

User ID

It’s by Saunders, very well established. Therefore it’s not 12x15 but a standard 11x14 size. Looks like a snap-in panel for their 11x14 single size easel. They made single size for every normal size.

weedhook

Thanks, but it does measure 12 x 15. It is by Saunders. I tried to find them on the internet, but couldn't. I guess they are no longer in business. A search of ebay didn't turn up any easels like this one either.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

User ID wrote:

It’s by Saunders, very well established. Therefore it’s not 12x15 but a standard 11x14 size. Looks like a snap-in panel for their 11x14 single size easel. They made single size for every normal size.

I missed seeing anything that would center an 11x14 sheet in it.

Quixdraw Loc: x

If the little flange below the opening will take the edge of a piece of paper, I'd wager one option was to use smaller paper as well - just by eye, maybe 5x7. At one point in time it was fashionable to have art photos printed centered in a larger piece of photo print paper. As to the size, odd! Lots of Saunders gear posted for sale on the 'Bay.

weedhook

quixdraw wrote:

If the little flange below the opening will take the edge of a piece of paper, I'd wager one option was to use smaller paper as well - just by eye, maybe 5x7. At one point in time it was fashionable to have art photos printed centered in a larger piece of photo print paper. As to the size, odd! Lots of Saunders gear posted for sale on the 'Bay.

You might be on to something about the art photo. Interestingly, a 4x5 photo is proportionate to a 12x15 paper by a factor of three (3x4=12; 3x5=15). Perhaps a 4x5 photo on that size paper was fashionable for a fine art photo.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

You are the proud owner of a Saunders 4x5 COLOR PROOFING Easel- problem is, there are parts missing. The insert you have is for making one 4x5 print with very wide borders. The missing inserts allow you to print 4- up proofs on one sheet of paper. The opening would be in on the corner of the black insert so you can rotate it to make 4 separate exposures. It's kind of a stripped-down version of the more costly multi-print model with more convenient kinda trap doors for focusing and composing.

Here's a link to another used one that is offered up fr sale. It seems that inserts as missing as well but you can see the lines marked off on the bottom plate that indicates the position of the 4 borderless prints.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Saunders-Color-Proofing-Easel-4x5-Offers-Welcome-/324427723836?hash=item4b8966343c

Quixdraw Loc: x

E.L.. Shapiro wrote:

You are the proud owner of a Saunders 4x5 COLOR P... (show quote)

Interesting, thanks! Nothing better than continuing to learn.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

E.L.. Shapiro wrote:

You are the proud owner of a Saunders 4x5 COLOR P... (show quote)

Cool, so with all the masks, one could get nine 4x5 proofs on one 12x15 sheet of paper.

Quixdraw Loc: x

One question, having bought my first darkroom as a just Teen from paper route proceeds 60 odd years ago, where could you get 12x15 paper? Never saw that size from then to this day, at least in the U.S. Was also in the business of photography for several years in that span of time.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

quixdraw wrote:

One question, having bought my first darkroom as a just Teen from paper route proceeds 60 odd years ago, where could you get 12x15 paper? Never saw that size from then to this day, at least in the U.S. Was also in the business of photography for several years in that span of time.

Yes, it is a strange size. Perhaps was designed to use 8x10 or 11x14 paper and used by placing the sheet in alternating corners of the base plate. The picture in that link shows 4 4x5s outlined on the base. I owned the model that used 8x10 paper and the paper shifted within the base. I don't imagine that the model in question was a big seller.

Saunders made a couple of dozen different sizes and models.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

I seem to remember having one of these, years ago. Goodness knows what has happened to it.

waltnetto Loc: LaVerne, CA

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