Wratten & Wainwright Tailboard camera
The Wratten & Wainwright Tailboard camera is a wooden plate camera of the type produced in Britain in the late 19th century, named for the hinged tailboard at the rear that supported the focusing track. It was sold as a field camera for glass-plate photography during the era when Wratten & Wainwright operated as a London-based photographic supplier.
With only a single recorded UK auction result available, market evidence is thin: one example sold at hammer for £660 at a Flints sale in 2018. As of today that figure is the only datapoint to anchor what a Wratten & Wainwright Tailboard camera is worth, so any current value estimate carries wide uncertainty and the price an individual example sells for at saleroom level will hinge heavily on completeness, condition and provenance.
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: August 2024
| Date | Price | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2024 | £50 | Chiswick Auctions | |
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Auction: Photographica Timed Online (Lot 1009) Title: A Wratten & Wainwright Half Plate Tailboard Mahogany & Brass Camera
Description:
A Wratten & Wainwright Half Plate Tailboard Mahogany & Brass Camera Body: G - black leather bellows, missing lens board. Notes: maker's plate reads ... read more |
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| Nov 2018 | £660 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science & Medicine (Lot 1355) Title: A Wratten & Wainwright Half Plate Mahogany Tailboard Camera
Description:
double extension, with pivoting back, with Doulor Opticiens Tri-Waterhouse stop brass lens, serial no. 1220, body, G-VG, lens, VG |
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| Oct 2017 | £360 | Flints Auctions | |
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Auction: Fine Photographica (Lot 353) Title: A Wratten & Wainwright Improved Folding Half Plate Mahogany Tailboard Camera
Description:
1887, with R&J Beck Rectilinear Waterhouse stop 8x5" lens, brass, serial no. 1470, body, VG, lens, G, some internal marks; Marked to front 'Warren & |
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Frequently asked questions
What is a Wratten & Wainwright Tailboard camera worth?
Auction evidence is limited to a single UK hammer result of £660 in 2018, so a precise current value cannot be given with confidence.
How much does a Wratten & Wainwright Tailboard camera sell for at auction?
The one recorded sale fetched £660 at hammer, but with so few datapoints the price a given example sells for can vary widely with condition and completeness.
What affects the price of a Wratten & Wainwright Tailboard camera?
Bellows condition, completeness of plate holders and lens, originality of finish and the presence of maker or retailer markings are the main drivers of value on cameras of this type.