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Thornton-pickardmfg. Co. Royal Ruby

The Thornton-Pickard Royal Ruby is a British wood-and-brass field camera from the Manchester maker Thornton-Pickard, produced for glass-plate photography in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. It sat at the upper end of the firm's Ruby line, aimed at serious amateur and professional plate photographers.

At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the Royal Ruby have ranged from about £350 to £900, with a median around £590 across the small pool of recorded sales — these figures are wholesale saleroom results rather than dealer retail. As of 2026, what a Royal Ruby is worth today depends heavily on completeness and cosmetic condition: examples with intact bellows, original lens and shutter, and a full set of plate holders sell for noticeably more than stripped or damaged bodies.

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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.

Prices updated: January 2025

Date Price Source
Jan 2025 £31 Flints Auctions
Jun 2020 EUR 700 Leitz Auction
Oct 2017 £480 Flints Auctions
Oct 2017 £384 Flints Auctions
Nov 2016 EUR 1,000 Leitz Auction
Nov 2014 EUR 900 Leitz Auction
May 2009 EUR 480 Leitz Auction
Nov 2006 EUR 500 Leitz Auction
May 2002 £352 Christie's
Jul 2001 £176 Christie's

Frequently asked questions

What is a Thornton-Pickard Royal Ruby worth today?

Recorded UK auction hammer prices sit between roughly £350 and £900, with a median value near £590; the price a given example sells for depends on condition, completeness and the fitted lens.

How much does a Royal Ruby sell for at auction?

Clean, complete examples have sold for up to around £900 at UK salerooms, while tired or incomplete bodies have changed hands closer to £350.

What affects the price of a Royal Ruby?

Bellows integrity, the presence of an original lens and shutter, intact brass fittings, and the inclusion of plate holders and ground glass all materially affect value.

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