There are only a few Kodak cameras I desire, and a nice example of a No.5 Folding Kodak Stereo had been on my "most wanted" list for over two decades. They are incredibly rare and the few owned by collectors are never for sale.

The Folding Kodak series were first introduced in 1890 by George Eastman. The innovative self-casing design was the first to garner wide public acceptance. Throughout the 1890s, other makers created folding cameras similar to the Folding Kodak series. But it is this "satchel" body form that is the most distinctive of all. (No.4 Folding Kodak in my collection can be seen here.)

The No.5 model made 7 x 5 inch images on glass plates or 54 exposures on roll film. The example shown here is in excellent condition. It includes both single and stereo lenses as well as its original roll film holder (inside the body) with a serial number that matches the body. Additionally, the often torn leather hinge for the body lid is intact.

The stereo model was introduced in 1893 and it is the only year in which focusing is done using levers instead of the more traditional rack & pinion focusing knob design. Two separate levers are built into drop bed; one for a single lens and another (at the rear of the drop bed) for the stereo lens set.