The Borrowdale overhead repro camera...what a monster!

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

1963

DDTJRAC - Graphic Arts Archive

This Borrowdale camera took 48x48 inch film and their biggest model cost $13,750.00. I don't know what the box behind the guy was for. Maybe for film boxes? It would have been in the darkroom with the rear half of the camera.

The process / repro camera took up 2 rooms. Half was in light and half was in the darkroom. The skinny box going up in the air was probably for roll down glass halftone screens. There is a crank on the right for lowering and raising the screen. You could either use glass halftone screens or film screens that were adhered with the vacuum back.

This camera is a crazy design, it looks to have 2 backs. We used smaller process cameras, nothing like this. Too bad or I could report on it. I will have to see if I can find some old printers from back in the day to question. But as time goes one, less and less old timers in any field left to question. 

From reading the literature, I believe the $13,750.00 also covered the onsite installation team. You used to get a lot of bang for your buck back in the day. Their smaller camera taking 20x24 inch film was only $7,400 with install.

 

 

Edited January 18, 2022 by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

They did make smaller process cameras. There were desktop model 'repro cameras' for the secretary to use. As well as small vertical cameras. This model could be used horizontally and vertically.

Looks like a problem with the OP photo. Here it is again...

The R.W. Borrowdale overhead process camera

 

Edited January 23, 2022 by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

I polled a printing forum I belong to about the Borrowdale camera. I got no replies. Looks like all the old timers that knew about the camera are dead. Everything is pretty much digital press now.

When I think back to my graphic arts days in the early 70's, I was always the youngest on the job working with process cameras. Everyone else was a lot older than me. So now that I'm old, any remaining people that worked with them are really old. And graphic arts work was not the healthiest of jobs. 

I keep telling you guys and gals...document things. Get oral history and video. One day you don't wake up and the history is all gone. 

...I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that an old timer in a rest home runs across my inquires. 

[Deborah A Ferguson]

My father - Richard W. Borrowdale- built the RW Borrowdale cameras. He is 91 years old an would be able to answer questions- DF

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

On 11/12/2022 at 9:27 AM, Deborah A Ferguson said:

My father - Richard W. Borrowdale- built the RW Borrowdale cameras. He is 91 years old an would be able to answer questions- DF

Have him write me at w1000w@aol.com. I'd like to correspond with him. He should have all that history archived. I have a large Graphic Arts Archive and would love to add anything he can offer to it to help preserve some of the historical record. 

Dan

Edited November 13, 2022 by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

Press photo Cleveland, OH 1938

Believed to be the world's largest process camera at the time.

DDTJRAC

Verso photo above

DDTJRAC

The importance of the process camera was this...

In the old days we didn't have scanners. Everything was duplicated on film via cameras. 

 

Camera & Process Work Chambers 1964

DDTJRAC

Edited November 13, 2022 by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.

[Jim Unsworth]

I worked on a custom built Borrowdale Camera for about 10 years around 1980. The camera was purchased by the Alberta Government, Department of Forestry, Lands & Wildlife.  Not sure if there are still those looking for information, but I would be willing to assist.

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

On 1/5/2023 at 10:26 AM, Jim Unsworth said:

I worked on a custom built Borrowdale Camera for about 10 years around 1980. The camera was purchased by the Alberta Government, Department of Forestry, Lands & Wildlife.  Not sure if there are still those looking for information, but I would be willing to assist.

 

Never heard from Borrowdale or the person replying earlier.

Yes, I had a few questions....

I was wondering what that big box behind the operator was used for. I had worked with many process cameras in the 70's, but none as big as this nor did any have a box on them. The process cameras we used stopped at the vacuum holder / ground glass in the darkroom. 

I was wondering if the box was used for storing boxes of film or halftone screens or?

And why 2 backs to the camera?

What is sliding up and down on the pole to the right of the operator? 

 

 

I was hoping to hear from Borrowdale to see if he had any ephemera, he could donate copies of to the Internet Archive via my Archive on Graphic Arts. Or maybe get some audio oral history recorded on the backstory on how it all came about.

There is something that irritates me when all these things are lost to history and you can't get answers.

Edited January 8, 2023 by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.

[Kenneth Robert Borrowdale]

This camera was actually invented by my great uncle Russell Wier Borrowdale.  My father spoke of him often.  We visited him in Albuquerque in 1975.   He was born in 1904 and died in 1992.  He had sons, Russell and Robert, who are also deceased.  

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

Thanks for the history. I was corresponding with a fellow that worked there. Then he went silent. But I got some more history from him about the Borrowdale Company. I have to organize it and put it with the photo at the Internet Archive.

Some of the email correspondence...

I worked at the Borrowdale company on and off for close to twenty years. The entire camera was built pretty much from scratch and then delivered to the customer. The camera in your pic although large was far from being the largest. Forty feet long and over 2 tones was not unusual. Through the years I’ve been tossing things. Even recently. All I have left are 2 very large lenses That Stan told me I could have. I use them as book endxs. I’ll look a bit but I don’t think I have anything left.

I can lead you towards someone who may have more information. The company was run by the mother and father along with their three sons and one daughter and the daughters husband. The daughters husbands name was Stan Pentecost. They had a daughter named Linda. She married and her name is now Linda Coyne. https://www.spokeo.com/Linda-Coyne/Illinois/Homer-Glen/p2015021510161137832148309453272

She may have pamphlets and other material related to Borrowdale cameras.
If you have any questions about the cameras that were built by Borrowdale I’d be happy to answer them if I can.

Yep that’s an old camera. Bob Borrowdale in the pic. Second back is for enlargements. Had a roll down Mylar curtain to hold different size films.
I installed that camera in Alberta.

Borrowdale went on to make microcircuit cameras also. Their last cameras made were vertical cameras that were for color film.
Manufacturing plant was at 340 W 83rd St, Chicago, IL 60620.

From what I remember installation was not included in the price. Delivery of all cameras was done by Borrowdale employee’s. Borrowdale had their own tractor trailer truck.  Some printing companies didn’t have docks which would add to the installation cost. Often the equipment would be installed several floors up. Center and side rails would be attached to the bottom of the elevator brought up to a higher floor then slowly lowered while pulling the rail in. Once the rail got past the center weight point the elevator would be stopped till the rail was completely pulled in.
Several times riggers would be hired to bring the equipment through the windows of high rise buildings. Block off the streets in a major city like New York.
 
An old camera like what is seen in the picture could be set up in a room in about 4 days by 2 people. Then carpenters would come in and build a wall between the front and back of the camera (C) leaving about 6 inches of empty space between the camera and wall. This open space was covered with black cloth. This allowed the camera to move while squaring it up and not have any vibrations from the wall.
 
Squaring the camera was an important part. What is not seen in the picture is a second door that had a piece of frosted glass that had clear spots going horizontally and vertical. Its these clear spots where you would put your loop to check focus.
So with the vacuum door open and the glass door closed you would use a 5 foot long aluminum round pole with a dial indicator on one side and the other end round to check if the planes were all parallel. Glass door to Lense plate. Lense plate to glass that copy is at. Glass door to back vacuum plate. This would all b done after the rails had been leveled.
 
Leveling and squaring 1 day. Then its time to take pictures to check size. If you look closely at the sides of the rails there are strips of stainless steel that had been previously marked at the shop where 100%, 200% and other sizes would be. On the side where the copy is held there are several strips for each lens. Also on the side where the copy is held, at the very bottom of the rail if you look hard you’ll see several small one inch blocks of steal that have grooves in them. When a percentage has been verified by taking a shot and measuring this block would be positioned and each time the camera operator wanted that percentage he would move the camera to the block and engage a small plunger that would hold it in place.

Not seen are two 1/8 inch airline cable that goes from the back of the camera to the center rear case. To move the camera parts on the rails the operator would turn these round disks that are connected to the cables. The cables do not move.
 
I do not know what A was used for. If you have any paperwork about the camera it may say what its for.

B & C. Open the glass door that can not be seen and open the vacuum door that is shut and shoot to the larger vacuum back. Enlargement. In this particular case they took a vacuum back like the one seen closed on the rear case (C) and put it onto a piece of ground flat aluminum (48x72). You can see where they’ve run hose to supply vacuum to these lower slots that have been added to the ground plate. Where the operators hand is at in this picture there are a serries of levers that are associated with what different size film you would use. On this extension back you can see the airplane cable that goes down to the turning handle. The cable does not move. There is a serries of pullies that are attached to the handle. Also seen is the plunger that would be used to relocate and lock in enlargements that have previously been established.
 
Yes D was used for halftone screen.

I believe the control (E) is where the mylar curtain would be. Used to hold film that didn’t match the vacuum slits that were put into the vacuum back.
F was light and shutter timer.

At G was a vacuum gauge to show when the copy board was pulled into place against the front piece of glass. Just above the letter G was the handle that was turned to move the copy board. To load copy the glass is moved to a 45 degrees and  then opened. Copy is loaded, the frame that holds the front glass is then closed, vacuum turned on and the ass is brought to a vertical position. What can’t be seen here is on the backside there is often a frame to hold glass, possible a glass negative on the other side. To use the other side, the copy board is opened and the vacuum blanket is removed where a white piece of plexiglass could be seen. Close the copy board and rotate it around. 180 degrees. Put your glass into the adjustable frame that is always connected to the backside of the copy board, close the black curtain so only the size of the glass is showing and then set up the lights to shine from the back. In the picture the lights are set at the back. This only for the pamphlet. The copy in the picture is not for rear lighting. In real use the lights would be swung around front. Also, with the vacuum blanket removed you could put a negative onto the white plexiglass and shoot from behind. Hmm, wonder if that makes sense?

Lighting was done by pulse xenon lamps.

I’ll move forward on the camera with more information. But before I do it should be noted that the entire structure that is up in the air is being supported by the rear leg assembly. The entire camera sits on this. It is not bolted to the rear leg. It just sits on it. If that rear leg were hit the entire assembly would fall. Their reasoning for this was that it allowed the camera rails to move (bend) and by not being bolted it would help with the copy board staying square to everything else.

The Borrowdale plant had a complete machine shop where all the parts were made. The rear case (C), vacuum backs and some other parts were made of cast aluminum and were forged elsewhere. Everything else was made in house except electrical parts, bearings, shutters, and other parts that were readably available. The camera was made, assembled, tested, painted all within the plant.
Their were several other companies making graphic arts cameras. None of them were as beefy as Borrowdale’s. As time went on the others they found ways to make their cameras much lighter in weight. As an example light gauge sheet metal instead of 1/8 inch aluminum. On the vacuum backs Borrowdale mounted a 3/8 aluminum plate that had been slotted to match film sizes. It was then machine flat. Other manufacturers mounted perforated sheet metal over their vacuum backs that had been machined flat. As with ours there were channels in the vacuum backs that matched film sizes. Although lighter, long term durability, accuracy and repeatability sometimes came into play.
 
Motor drives were an upgrade for the camera. Instead of hand cranks and metal tapes on the side of the camera 1 inch ball screw was used. The cable and hand cranks were not put on and instead the lens board and copy board each had their own screw. On one end of the screw a encoder was mounted and on the other end of the screw a pulley and motor were mounted. A digital display was used to read the information from the encoder. Shots were taken to establish a couple of sizes and the rest of the sizes were then established using this information. Limit switches were mounted accordingly so you couldn’t run the copy board and lens into each other. Other limit switches were added for home positions of the lens board and copy board. This allowed for accurate sizing besides the customary 100%, 200% enlargements. If you needed 225% enlargement you could do it with one shot and know you would be focused and sized correctly.

Brian