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Sanderson Hand Camera

The Sanderson Hand Camera is a British wooden folding plate camera designed by Frederick Sanderson and produced from the late 1890s onward. It was marketed as a hand-holdable alternative to tripod-bound field cameras, with a patented front standard offering rise, fall, and swing movements unusual for a camera of its size and era.

At recent UK auction, hammer prices for Sanderson Hand Cameras have spanned roughly £46 to £600, with a median of about £170 based on thirteen Christie's saleroom results — wholesale levels before buyer's premium and very different from dealer retail. Condition is the dominant variable today: examples with intact bellows, clean brass fittings and a working Sanderson movement sell for noticeably more than tired bodies, and a fitted period lens of known maker can push value toward the upper end of that range. Buyers asking what a Sanderson Hand Camera is worth in 2026 should anchor expectations to that £170 median rather than outlier results.

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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
Jan 2021 £149 Flints Auctions
Nov 2006 £84 Christie's
May 2006 £144 Christie's
May 2006 £120 Christie's
Feb 2006 £120 Christie's
Feb 2006 £120 Christie's
May 2005 £600 Christie's
Nov 2003 £117 Christie's
Sep 2003 £94 Christie's
May 2003 £117 Christie's
May 2003 £58 Christie's
Mar 2003 £152 Christie's
Dec 2002 £211 Christie's
Dec 2002 £176 Christie's
Sep 2002 £176 Christie's
Sep 2002 £164 Christie's
Sep 2002 £188 Christie's
Sep 2002 £528 Christie's
Jul 2002 £105 Christie's
Jul 2002 £129 Christie's
Jul 2002 £117 Christie's
Nov 2001 £293 Christie's
Jul 2001 £493 Christie's
Jul 2001 £223 Christie's
Jul 2001 £188 Christie's
Jul 2001 £152 Christie's
Jul 2001 £152 Christie's
Jan 2001 £211 Christie's
Jan 2001 £411 Christie's
Nov 2000 £164 Christie's
Nov 2000 £211 Christie's
Aug 2000 £176 Christie's
Jul 2000 £117 Christie's
Jul 2000 £235 Christie's
May 2000 £164 Christie's
Jan 2000 £2,300 Christie's
Jan 2000 £368 Christie's
Oct 1999 £149 Christie's
Oct 1999 £230 Christie's
Sep 1999 £172 Christie's
May 1999 £195 Christie's
May 1999 £161 Christie's
Mar 1999 £230 Christie's
Mar 1999 £126 Christie's
Mar 1999 £172 Christie's
Feb 1999 £161 Christie's
Feb 1999 £207 Christie's
Feb 1999 £69 Christie's
Jan 1999 £322 Christie's
Aug 1998 £172 Christie's
Aug 1998 £46 Christie's
Jan 1998 £126 Christie's
Jan 1998 £80 Christie's

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