shutter / stop: 7x11 - The Big Slurpee #2

Today's blog is about the 7x11 film format.

For those not familiar with some of the more esoteric film sizes, this is one of them. From what I have been able to gather, at least three companies made 7x11 (inch) film cameras in the early part of the 20th century, Eastman-Kodak, Korona and Ansco (Anthony Scovill). The first time I heard about the 7x11 format was when I went to a Camera Swap Meet at an old church in Oakland California in 1997 or 1998. There I saw several modern contact prints similar in size to 8x10, but different and skinnier. I spoke with the man behind the table and he stated that the photos were made with a 7x11 Kodak 2d. I was very intrigued and began to search for my own copy of this format. Eventually I found a Korona version on eBay, and had Patrick Alt restore the camera for me. My friends jokingly called it 'The Big Slurpee' naming it after the icy-sugary concoction you got from 7-11 convenient stores. Get it? 7x11 camera - 7-11 Convenient store. :-)

Any way I used the Korona for quite some time - using for different photo outings - however I began to realise that with all of the different type of cameras I had I was not operating efficiently, so I slowly began to modernize and standardize on Canham cameras where I could. As I began this process the Slurpee was mostly idle.

In early 2010 I bought a Canham 10x12 rear standard to swap out with the Canham 8x10 rear standard - which then allowed me work with Keith Canham to make a 7x11 back that would work with my film holders. After a half year wait my new back arrived and I sold the original 'Big Slurpee'.

About a month ago I was able to go into the Darkroom and print the first 4 'keepers' taken using the new Canham 7x11. After scanning them I thought this would be a good opportunity to share them with you.

These digitized images / scans are not the best... I need to save for a new scanner that works with Windows 7. So here they are...: