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Ilex Camera Works - |
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Manufactured or assembled in United Kingdom from (After) 1889 to (Before) 1900.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 13250
See the complete technical specifications
Chronology of cameras Ilex Camera Works
Before establishing his own business in 1889, Alfred Charles Jackson apprenticed at the opticians R & J Beck, also known for manufacturing cameras, including the Frena detective cameras.
With limited funds when he started out on his own, he began by setting up his workshop in a room of the family home.
Noticing that people were increasingly interested in photography but that purchasing a camera was a luxury many couldn't afford, he focused primarily on designing cameras that were affordable without compromising on quality.
His company was initially called Crown Works, until 1900 when, with success on his side, he relocated to a larger manufacturing facility and changed the name to Ilex Camera Works.
In 1904, Houghton, seeking to expand its business and having been aware of Jackson's success for some time, offered to buy out Ilex Camera Works.
The offer, apparently attractive, was accepted by Jackson, with an agreement in place for him to remain in charge of the company.
The features of this detective camera make it somewhat unique within the Ilex Camera Works range. Typically, models from the company are known for their distinctive rear loading of plates and their exit from below through a trapdoor; it's the company's trademark.
Here, both operations are carried out from the rear, as was often the case with simple detective cameras of the time; this likely indicates that it was designed during the early days of A.C. Jackson's tenure, when the company was still called "Crown Works," between 1889 and 1900.
What connects it to the creation of Ilex Camera Works is the shutter, branded Ilex, and especially the distinctive appearance of the rear door closure hooks. Added to this (though it wasn't the only brand to use it at the time) is the 3/16" tripod screw, which would become 1/4" (4/16") on cameras manufactured after the absorption in 1904 by Houghton, particularly on the Holborn Ilex series.
The focusing mechanism is not the most convenient: nothing on the lens for infinity focus, and one of three screw-on lens hoods, chosen on the door according to the indicated distance.
A yellow filter is available, screwed onto the bottom of the shutter-optical block. A lock secures the trigger, a useful precaution with an uncocked Ilex shutter...
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