Ansco N° 3 Vest Pocket Junior

Photos by FLAND text by FLAND. From the collection of François Landais. Last update 2023-10-30 par Sylvain Halgand.

Manufactured or assembled in USA from (Circa) 1919 to (Circa) 1923.
Index of rarity in France: Rare (among non-specialized garage sales)
Inventory number: 13641

See the complete technical specifications

Chronology of cameras Ansco

Like many Ansco cameras, the brand’s folding models include in their name a code indicating the negative format. The rest of the name is more arbitrary and generally unreliable, especially when reused by distributors.

Because of this, compiling a complete list of folding models is quite a challenge. Below is a preliminary attempt at such a list:

	Format	Film	Shutter		Ansco Name

No. 0	4 × 6.5	127

Juniorette No. 1	6 × 9	120	Deltax No. 0 1/25 to 1/100, B, T
No. 1 Junior	6 × 9	120	Actus or Bionic 1/25 to 1/100, B, T
No. 1A Folding	6.5 × 11	116	1/10 to 1/100, B, T		No. 1A
No. 1A Junior	6.5 × 11	116	Actus or Bionic 1/25 to 1/100, B, T
No. 1A Automatic	6.5 × 11	116	1/25 to 1/100, B, T
No. 1A Royal	6.5 × 11	116	1/10 to 1/100, B, T

No. 2	6 × 9	120
No. 2A	6.5 × 11	116
No. 2C Junior	7.25 × 12.5	130	Actus or Bionic 1/25 to 1/100, B, T

No. 3 Folding	8 × 10.5	118 or plate	Bionic or Capax or Ilex 1/25 to 1/100, B, T	Graduated distance scale	No. 3
No. 3 Junior	8 × 10.5	118
No. 3 Vest Pocket Junior	6 × 9	120	Actus or Bionic 1/25 to 1/100, B, T
No. 3A Folding	8.5 × 14	122 or plate	Bionic or Capax or Ilex	Graduated distance scale	No. 3A
No. 3A Junior	8.5 × 14	122	Actus or Bionic 1/25 to 1/100, B, T
Cameras fitted with a faster shutter (Speed = high speed)
Speedex Vest Pocket	6 × 9	120	Speedex or Ilex Acme 1/300
Speedex No. 1A	6.5 × 11	116
Speedex No. 3	8 × 10.5	118
Speedex No. 3A	8.5 × 14	122

Models labeled "Junior" are a budget alternative to a more elaborate version. The most obvious difference is the lens support, which on the Junior models does not allow for lens shift. The lenses and shutters may also differ, but this is not a reliable identification feature.
French distributors sometimes referred to these models as "Pliant", in reference to the English word “Folding”. However, this term does not appear in the original model names.

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On the triangular plate under the lens, it's marked N° 3 VP Junior, and on the back, Ansco V.P.J R. This basic 6 x 9 folding camera uses 120 film (Ansco 4A film), while most Vest Pocket models from other brands use 127 film and smaller formats.

The distance scale is in meters, and the shutter is a Wollensak Deltax No. 0 that doesn't go beyond 1/100. The lens is French: a Roussel Stylor 6.3/90.

The camera was likely sold by Photo-Plait, offering it under the name Juniorette from 1923 to 1927 with various shutters and lenses.

This VP has two pivoting feet, allowing the camera to be positioned for vertical or horizontal shots, which fold behind the lens support plate. The bellows are made of leather, while the body covering is metal.

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