I have a yard sale item I picked up and plan to put on eBay but I don’t know the manufacturer nor the devises proper name.. When I first saw this item I assumed it was a lens extender for a miniature Speed Graphic, but I cannot find anything like it on Graflex.org, eBay, or on the internet.

I can best describe it as an all metal extendable lens/lens board holder for a camera or an enlarger using small 82mm (3-3/16”) square lens boards. The front lens board recess of the extender would hold an 82mm by 82mm by 2 or 2.5mm thick lens board. Sliding clips top and bottom, would secure the board. The rear of the extender would mount into an 82mm square lens board opening.

The front movable part is threaded and is advanced by a rotating ring fixed to the rear stationary piece. A stop pin in the threads keeps the front and back sections in alignment

The inside dimension of the barrel is 55mm and it has a black matte finish. The exterior surfaces are a black crackle finish... With the extender at its minimum closed distance the lens would be extended 2 1/2”. At the maximum distance the lens would be extended by 3 1/2”.

The threads are rather coarse, so I doubt critical focusing could be achieved using this devise but it would allow the lens to be extended an additional 2 1/2” to 3 1/2” in front of the film plane on a camera or the negative carrier of an enlarger. The rotation is smooth but a little sloppy.

I have it photographed for eBay, but not sure how I could upload the jpgs. to Graflex. Org.

Any suggestions as what this devise really is and who made it?

Thanks,
Walter Holt

This is only a guess, but what I think you have is the front off a magic lantern projector. It comes to mind that I once had a similar contraption around here someplace. The thing is about the right size to fit a 3X4 Anniversary Speed Graphic, though.