London Stereoscopic Tailboard camera (Stereoscopic)
The London Stereoscopic & Photographic Company tailboard camera is a wooden field camera built in the stereoscopic format, with twin lenses and a sliding tailboard bed for focusing. Cameras of this pattern were produced in the late 19th century to make paired side-by-side plate negatives for stereoscope viewing.
Auction data for this model is extremely thin: a single UK saleroom hammer result from 2001 sells for £188, and no recent comparable sales are recorded. With only one data point, today's value is hard to pin down at auction-hammer level, and what a clean example is worth in 2026 will depend heavily on completeness of the lenses, bellows condition and whether original plate holders are present.
Sales History
Prices shown are realised prices — auction results and completed eBay sales, never asking prices. Most saleroom figures are hammer prices, before commission; some houses publish a premium-inclusive figure, and we do not adjust for condition. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher. How this figure is calculated.
Based on 5 recorded sales — indicative only.
Most recent sale: December 2021.
| Date | Price | Value GBP | Source | |
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| Dec 2021 | £124 | £100 | 🇬🇧 Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 685) Title: A Mahogany & Brass London Stereoscopic Co. Tailboard Camera
Description:
body F-G, bellows require attention, together with three large plate hodlers, a DDS, three ground glass masks, and more, (Qty: 1) |
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| Oct 2015 | £240 | £240 | 🇬🇧 Special Auction Services (archive) | |
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Auction: Camera & Photographica Equipment Auction Thursday 29th October 2015 at 11:00 (Lot 53) Title: A London Stereoscopic Co. Half Plate Mahogany Tailboard Camera
Description:
A London Stereoscopic Co. Half Plate Mahogany Tailboard Camera, with an A. Laverne & Co. Paris Waterhouse stop brass lens, body, G-VG, lacking some screws, lens, G, some marks to elements, with three DDS Estimate: £200 - £300 |
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| Feb 2004 | £179 | £150 | 🇬🇧 Christie's | |
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Auction: CAMERAS AND PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT INCLUDING MAGIC LANTERNS (Lot 192) Title: Tailboard camera
Description:
Tailboard camera Estimate: £150 - £250 |
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| Jul 2001 | £188 | £160 | 🇬🇧 Christie's | |
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Auction: CAMERAS & PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT (Lot 438) Title: Tailboard camera
Description:
Tailboard camera Estimate: £250 - £350 |
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| Aug 1998 | £207 | £180 | 🇬🇧 Christie's | |
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Auction: CAMERAS AND OPTICAL TOYS (Lot 383) Title: Tailboard camera
Description:
Tailboard camera Estimate: £200 - £300 |
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Frequently asked questions
What is a London Stereoscopic & Photographic Company tailboard stereoscopic camera worth today?
The only recorded UK auction hammer price is £188 from 2001, so a confident current value cannot be quoted; condition, completeness and the lens pair will drive what it sells for.
How much does this camera sell for at auction?
On the single recorded sale it achieved £188 hammer at a UK saleroom, but with no recent comparables the price a similar example would fetch now is uncertain.
What affects the value of a tailboard stereoscopic camera?
Bellows integrity, the presence of a matched original lens pair, working shutters or flange-mounted lenses, and the inclusion of plate holders are the main factors that move the price.