Ross Tailboard Camera

The Ross Tailboard Camera is a British-made wood-and-brass tailboard view camera, a large-format plate camera type produced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Tailboards of this kind were used with glass plates and brass-bound lenses, and were positioned as general-purpose studio and field cameras in their day.

When assessing what one of these is worth, inspect the bellows for pinholes and light leaks, check the wooden body for shrinkage cracks, loose joints and worm, and confirm the brass fittings, focusing rack and ground glass are intact. Completeness matters: a matching Ross brass lens, plate holders and a tripod block materially affect price, and service parts are no longer manufactured, so any restoration relies on specialist repairers.

Generated summary, 25 Apr 2026 — not checked by hand; prices on this page come from the sales, not from this text.