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Dallmeyer (J.H.) Schiebekastenkamera (Sliding box, wet plate)

The J.H. Dallmeyer Schiebekastenkamera is a sliding-box wet-plate camera dating from the early decades of photography, when collodion negatives were exposed in the field on freshly coated glass plates. It is a wooden-bodied apparatus in which focus is achieved by sliding one nested box within another, a construction typical of cameras built before bellows-form designs became standard.

Hammer prices for surviving examples sit in a wide band: UK saleroom results in our records range from £2,200 to £6,900, reflecting how heavily condition, completeness of the original lens, and provenance shape value at auction. With only a small number of recorded sales, what one of these cameras is worth today is highly lot-specific, and a clean, complete outfit will sell for a substantial multiple of a tired or incomplete one.

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Sales History

Prices shown are UK auction hammer results — the wholesale level achieved in the saleroom. Neither buyer’s nor seller’s commission is included. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher.

Date Price Source
Nov 2018 £2,160 Flints Auctions
May 2000 £763 Christie's
Jan 1999 £6,900 Christie's
Jan 1998 £517 Christie's

Frequently asked questions

What is a Dallmeyer Schiebekastenkamera worth today?

Recorded UK auction hammer prices range from around £2,200 to £6,900, so value today depends heavily on completeness, lens, and condition rather than a single market figure.

How much does a Dallmeyer sliding-box wet-plate camera sell for at auction?

The two recorded sales in our data sold for £2,160 and £6,900 at UK auction, which gives a useful indication of the price band but not a tight median given the small sample.

Why do prices for these cameras vary so much?

Wet-plate sliding-box cameras were largely hand-built, so survival condition, originality of the Dallmeyer lens, presence of plate-holders, and provenance all change what a buyer will pay.

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