Graflex.org

[llorton]

I have what I think is a Anniversary model SG and am trying to id it correctly. It has a rather odd shutter mechanism mounted below and to the right of the lens. The mechanism seems to have the letters SOL on its face. I would be hapy to send a pic of this to anyone who may be able to help.

Thanks in advance.


_________________
Lew Lorton

[t.r.sanford]

In the '40s (and perhaps before) there were two lines of flashguns, one called "King Sol" and the other, "Sol." In those days, people who made flashguns pretty much had to supply a way for the purchaser to synchronize the gun to the shutter, and a good deal of ingenuity was expended on mechanical synchronizers (in addition, of course, to solenoids).

This topic is wretchedly documented, but I suspect that what is attached to your lensboard is an aftermarket device relating to the use of flash.

Identifying it would be interesting, but I doubt that it will help you date the camera. People who bought "Speed Graphics" -- new or used -- bolted a lot of stuff onto them, and you can't tell just when they did it, nor whether the accessory is newer or older than the camera, or the same age!

[Les]

Sidney O Lindall was a manager at a mining equipment company in Colorado and was tinkering with flash synchronization at home.

What he didn't know was that the Heiland Research Corp. was going broke, and quickly.

He showed the president his new synchronizer just about the time the President was trying to figure out how to make payroll next month. It wasn't difficult for him to accept Sidney's idea and run with it.

The first models of battery cases and solenoids (that silver thing next to the shutter) were labeled SOL-Heiland and came out in the mid/late 30s. SOL was for Sid's initials, the fact that it also spelled out the god of the sun was a bonus.

At some time another company in New York essentially copied the Heiland flash unit and named the company King Sol. Sid was made that Heiland (or possibly Heiland Div. of Honeywell) did not aggresively defend his equipment.

Sidney's logo is the word SOL with radiant lines around it. The King Sol logo is usually a sun face with a crown.

King Sol eventually got out of the flash gun making business and entered in the flash cord business. You know them as Paramount Cords. Paramount is on it's third generation and most of their dicier history was never passed on. (I've asked) Sidney left Heiland, opened a camera store and did a very good business until the 70s when his health failed and the business was run into the ground by others. A friend of mine was there in at the time and saw almost a basement full of Graflex and camera parts. He tried to buy them but by then the family just wanted to dump them and be done with it.

and now you know the rest of the story........

[RichS]

Lew sent some pics of the camera to me. Looks like an Anny to me and in great shape too.

If anyone is interested in the camera, I did a quick web page with the pics instead of tying up bandwidth here. Take a look at:

edit: the camera got sold so there's no reason to hold onto the pics...


[ This Message was edited by: RichS on 2004-09-09 13:16 ]

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The solonoid is a Heiland/Sol, which matches the Heiland/Sol thumb-lever shoe on the RF bracket.
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