●●●Beautiful example, fully intact, including the glass!

Up for consideration is an exceptional, investment-grade piece of early American photographic history: an original late 19th-century G. Gennert New York split-back wood contact printing frame. G. Gennert (est. 1854) was renowned for manufacturing the highest tier of professional darkroom equipment, and this textbook example showcases the impeccable craftsmanship of the era.

Design & Function

This frame was engineered to secure glass-plate negatives flat against light-sensitive paper under high pressure. It features the classic, expertly crafted dual-section split back connected by robust iron hinges. This ingenious "proof-checking" design allowed Victorian-era photographers to lift just one side of the back to inspect the exposure's progress without disturbing the registration of the negative. Two thick, heavy-gauge brass tension bars securely swivel and lock underneath the corner brackets, applying uniform pressure.