Thornton-pickardmfg. Co. Special Ruby
The Thornton-Pickard Special Ruby is a British-made folding plate camera produced by Thornton-Pickard Manufacturing Co., a Manchester firm active in the late Victorian and early twentieth-century British photographic trade. It belongs to the mahogany-and-brass field-camera tradition aimed at serious amateur and professional plate photographers of the period.
Sales history is thin, but recorded UK auction hammer results for the Special Ruby sit in the £30–£70 range, giving a midpoint around £50 as of today. Because these are wholesale saleroom prices rather than retail, tidy examples with intact bellows, working shutter and original fittings can sell for more once restored and offered through specialist dealers.
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: April 2023
| Date | Price | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2023 | £70 | Special Auction Services | |
|
Auction: Photographica & Cameras Auction (Lot 100) Title: An early 20th Century mahogany and brass Thornton-Pickard Special Ruby Half-Plate Field Camera
Description:
An early 20th Century mahogany and brass Thornton-Pickard Special Ruby Half-Plate Field Camera, with f/8 brass lens, F, dent to lens hood |
|||
|
Loading...
|
|||
| Feb 2022 | £30 | Harper Field Auctions | |
|
Auction: Buying & Selling (Lot 351) Title: Thornton-Pickard special ruby camera fitted with Cooke anastigmat f=4.5 5 3/4 inch lens
Description:
Thornton-Pickard special ruby camera fitted with Cooke anastigmat f=4.5 5 3/4 inch lens |
|||
|
Loading...
|
|||
| Jan 2022 | £211 | Flints Auctions | |
|
Auction: The Collectors Sale (Lot 358) Title: A Thornton Pickard Ruby Half Plate Mahogany Field Camera
Description:
with Wray London f/8 8½" brass lens, serial no. 5364, body, F-G, lens, VG, some light internal haze, with three DDS |
|||
|
Loading...
|
|||
| Oct 2017 | £144 | Flints Auctions | |
|
Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 327) Title: A Thornton-Pickard Special Ruby Half Plate Mahogany Field Camera
Description:
1909-1912, triple extension, with Beck Symmetrical f/8 brass lens, body, VG, lens, G, front element loose, with one DDS, in maker's case, witth three |
|||
|
Loading...
|
|||
Frequently asked questions
What is a Thornton-Pickard Special Ruby worth today?
Based on the limited UK auction record, a Special Ruby is worth roughly £30 to £70 at hammer, with condition, completeness and the presence of a working shutter driving where a given example lands in that range.
How much does a Thornton-Pickard Special Ruby sell for at auction?
Recent UK hammer prices sit between £30 and £70, so a typical example sells for around £50 before buyer's premium is added.
Is the Special Ruby a good user camera or a shelf piece?
Most survivors are bought as display and collector items; the value is low enough that extensive restoration rarely pays back, though a sound example with a functioning shutter can still be used for large-format plate or sheet-film work.