Vintage Brand 17 Press/View Camera

Description

The Brand Camera Company was a camera maker in Los Angeles. The company made a rail-mounted view camera from about 1947. This camera was often referred to as the Brand 17, 17 being the extended length of the bellows in inches. The camera could be used as a hand-held camera or as a studio camera. A handle is attached to the rear standard on the left side. There is a tripod mount (also an aluminium casting) between the two standards. The front standard pulls out from the tripod mount on a telescoping front section of each rail. The rear standard slides on the rear section of the rails for focusing, by cranking a central threaded rod, parallel to the rails and between them, which passes through the standard and is fixed to the tripod mount.
The camera has a rotating back, front rise and shift, and front and rear tilt and swing. None of the movements is geared: the standards are just unlocked and moved by hand. It has a spring back to accept standard double dark slides. Brand's advertisements offered a quarter-plate back as well as 4x5-inch.
A Busch 4 x 5 sheet film holder (not pictured) comes with the camera.
All sales are final and with no returns.