This lovely 10×10 inch tailboard camera was hand made by Mark Voce at Voce Cameras. Probably made between 2016 – 2018. It was originally sold to a fellow wet plate photographer on Europe who then, very recently, listed it for sale on one of the Facebook groups.
I asked if they would consider sending it back to the UK if I covered the shipping. A sale was agreed.
It spent a few day at customs, where I half expected extra taxes and duty to be paid on its import back into the UK. Surprisingly none was due and it arrived with me yesterday.
This evening I took it to the studio to unpack but I could hear glass rattling around inside. The ground glass sadly didn’t make it home.
Customs officials must have opened the package to inspect the contents. I’m assuming they had a fiddle and couldn’t figure out how to collapse the camera down again as there were some fresh chips in the woodwork and the rear standard is now loose where the wood has split.
Luckily we covered shipping with insurance and hopefully the sender can make a claim and get a partial refund.
I can make a replacement ground glass screen and repair the rear standard. Probably wood glue and a securing wood screw from beneath.
I’ll then nag Mark for some additional lens boards and some other plate reducers, probably 10×8 and 5×7 inch.
Either way I am very happy to be the new owner of this Voce camera.