Ross Stereo Camera (tailboard)
The Ross Stereo Camera (tailboard) is a 19th-century British wood-and-brass stereoscopic plate camera of the tailboard pattern, produced by the London optical maker Ross for recording paired images on a single glass plate. Cameras of this type were positioned as professional stereoscopic instruments when new, used with twin matched lenses to produce images for parlour stereo viewers.
At recent UK auction, hammer results for the Ross Stereo Camera (tailboard) sit in a narrow band between roughly £1,100 and £1,100, with a median around £1,100 — figures that reflect wholesale saleroom levels rather than retail. As of 2026, what a complete tailboard Ross stereo sells for today is strongly condition-sensitive: bellows integrity, matched lens pair, original plate holders and wooden body finish all drive value, and incomplete examples typically trade below this range.
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.
Prices updated: November 2023
| Date | Price | Source | |
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| Nov 2023 | £1,125 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 256) Title: A Ross Stereo Mahogany & Brass Tailboard Camera
Description:
1890-, 6½x3¼, with two Ross Double Anastigmat f/7.7 5" lenses, serial nos. 4567/5640, body, VG-E, lenses, VG, complete with dividing septum, lens |
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| Nov 2020 | £1,091 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science (Lot 457) Title: A J. J. Pyne Stereo Tailboard Mahogany Camera
Description:
1860-, with Ross stereo sliding shutter brass lenses, serial no. 8382/8383, body, F, lacking round glass screen and front rise locking knob, lenses, |
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| Oct 2019 | £1,800 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science & Medicine (Lot 435) Title: A Ross Stereo 13x18cm Mahogany Tailboard Camera
Description:
1890-, serial no. 189, with Ross Rapid Symmetrical 6x5" Waterhouse stop lenses, brass, serial nos. 34667/37229, body, VG, with removeable septum and |
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| Mar 2018 | EUR 1,000 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 32 (Lot AI_32_36116) Title: Ross London (Stereo) Tailboard Camera
Description:
mahogany stereo tailboard camera in excellent condition, for panoramic exposures c.13x20cm, or stereo exposures (lenses not included), maker's plaque on front 'Ross, London', with Ross brass lens no.8301 Estimate: EUR 2,000 - EUR 2,400 |
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| Oct 2017 | £936 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 190) Title: A Fine Ross Stereo Mahogany Tailboard Camera
Description:
10x20cm, body, VG-E, lacking lenses with later blanking board, complete with seven DDS |
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Frequently asked questions
What is a Ross Stereo Camera (tailboard) worth at UK auction?
Based on recent UK hammer prices, complete examples have sold in the region of £1,100, though condition and completeness of lenses, bellows and plate holders have a significant effect on final value.
How much does a Ross tailboard stereo camera sell for today?
Recent saleroom results place the price of a Ross tailboard stereo at around £1,090–£1,130 at hammer, with cleaner or more complete outfits tending toward the upper end of that range.
What affects the value of a Ross Stereo Camera (tailboard)?
Matched original lenses, sound bellows, intact woodwork and brasswork, and the presence of original plate holders are the main drivers; heavy restoration, missing lenses or damaged bellows reduce what the camera sells for.