Abstract :
IN 1914 the outbreak of the First World War was to usher in technological breakthroughs that changed the face of weaponry, transport, medicine and communications forever. This influence was also felt in the area of camera design. The way photographs were now being taken meant that new machinery was needed to cope with the upsurge in demand for reportage and reconnaissance. The basic blueprint of the large format plate camera that had been around for decades was finally going to be seriously challenged.