This is a rarely seen camera from the very late 1880s and 1890s called the Star View Camera by American Optical Co. which was owned by Scovill & Adams Co. in New York City.  The camera was only sold for about 10 years, from 1889 to about 1899. It is technically a 5" x 8" format camera (the camera was manufactured in eight sizes/formats from 4" x 5" to 11" x 14") but a previous owner has permanently mounted a smaller quarter-plate (3¼" x 4¼") ground glass back to the camera.  I do not have the 5" x 8" back that originally came with the camera.

The ivory-like label on top of the front standard says, "American Optical Company / New York / The Scovill & Adams Co. Proprs."

There are two patent dates stamped into the wood.  The first one, June 21, 1881, is for the improved dry plate back that was mounted on the camera and the other one, dated October 20, 1885, is a Flammang's patent issued for the two-pin system used to quickly secure the front rail to the bed of the camera after it is folded down (see close-up photo showing the folded front rail of the camera with the two patented metal locking-pins extended).

The camera looks beautiful with its dark rich-looking wood (I believe it's mahogany), red square bellows and brass fixtures but there are various marks on the wood, corrosion on the metal parts and light leaks at some corners of the bellows (see photos).  It has unique metal posts on the front standard for raising and lower the lens and also unique spring-loaded clasps on top of the camera to hold on the ground glass back.

The quarter-plate back on the camera has similar wood as the rest of the camera back and has been attached with four screws.  If you remove the quarter plate back (which fits perfectly inside the 5" x 8" frame), you will see it is stamped Rochester, NY along one edge, leading me to believe it was an after-market add-on so that the owner could make quarter-plate images.  There was a small tapered extension rail made to attach to the front standard of the camera but it wasn't with the camera when I purchased it.

The lens on the camera is a Wollensak 6½" x 8½" Rapid Symmetrical mounted in a Regno shutter.  The lens is bright and clear with no scratches, fungus or cleaning marks but the barrel has two dents in the front rim and some paint loss (see photos).  The shutter operates at all its speeds but they're not always reliable and I can't guarantee their accuracy. The lensboard is marked American Optical Co. / Scovill M'f'g. Co. NY.

This rare vintage camera is being sold as a display piece and not as a working camera.

Please use the accompanying photographs to judge the camera's condition and email or call me if you have any questions (search for "Rob McElroy" and "Buffalo, NY" on Google and you will find me or call me at the number listed under the Contact Buyer link in this listing).

Note: All photographs appearing in this eBay listing are the copyright of Rob McElroy (2020) and may not be copied, duplicated, transferred, transmitted, or in any way displayed (electronically or in print) without express written permission. This includes restrictions on any internet or website display, usage or transfer.

SHIPPING:Domestic shipping is via USPS and will be calculated by eBay's shipping calculator to your particular city.

The shipping fee also includes postal insurance plus the additional fees imposed by EBay and PayPal on the shipping charges, which amounts to an additional 15% on top of the fees charged by the post office. Shipping discounts are available for multiple purchases shipped to the same address in the same box.

International buyers please note: The shipping charges you pay when purchasing this item do not include import duties, taxes, broker's fees, or other charges that may be imposed by government officials or Customs brokers in your country. Please check your country's import regulations if you want to be informed about any additional charges that may be imposed on your package when it arrives.

PAYPAL PAYMENT REQUIREMENTS: Visa and MasterCard are accepted through PayPal for domestic purchases. For international purchases, because of PayPal and eBay's very strict rules regarding proof-of-shipment for sellers, if you want to pay for the item using PayPal, and the item sells for less than $750.00, I can only accept a PayPal payment if you are willing to pay for USPS Priority Mail Express International or Priority Mail International shipping. They are the only on-line-trackable shipping methods offered by our US Postal System to international destinations, and an on-line-trackable shipping method is a PayPal and eBay requirement. Some countries now also track packages that are shipped using the less expensive First Class Mail International Parcel shipping service.  Please contact me if you're interested in that service and I will let you know if your country participates in the Delcon tracking program.  If the item sells for more than $750.00, then Priority Mail Express International is the ONLY international shipping option available because it is the only service that requires a signature upon delivery. PayPal and eBay both require signature confirmation on packages worth more than $750.00.

Additionally (for both domestic and international purchasers), if you pay for the item using PayPal, there are two Priority Mail services I cannot offer, their Flat-Rate Envelope and Small Flat-Rate Box. Neither of these two services are trackable (or insurable), and they are therefore against PayPal and eBay's rules.

PAYMENT OPTIONS: EBay has made changes to their payment rules whereby (in eBay's own words) "Beginning in late October [2008], sellers will no longer be allowed to offer [any traditional person-to-person paper] payment methods on eBay. Only approved electronic methods will be allowed." As a seller, eBay now prohibits me from even using the words that describe what those traditional paper-transaction payment methods are. EBay strongly encourages all buyers to pay for their items by using PayPal (previously an eBay-owned company). I accept PayPal, and encourage you to use it, but I will not force you to use it. EBay's rules also state "A seller can accept [paper payments] from a buyer if (and only if) the buyer requests it. We will not take action against a seller who is trying to accommodate their buyer, complete a sale and be in compliance with the policy. Sellers cannot in any way solicit [paper payments] from a buyer."  So, let me be clear, I am not, in any way, soliciting you to use any payment method other than PayPal, I am simply informing you (the buyer) of all of eBay's rules, which state that if you (the buyer) request a different payment option other than PayPal, I can accept it.