Pre War. This was made in a gold painted metal version (1937)
and a nickel plated version ( 1938-1950) also.
This was a non rising front model.
The Deardorff Home Portrait camera was designed to meet the growing trend of photographers to do home sittings.
It is sort of a tailboard camera except the bed is backwards. The back is stationary. It is about 15 inches long. It can
do a single 5x7 or 2 on 5x7 using a sliding dividing board in the back. It also has a sliding lensboard to keep the
optical axis aligned with the film. It was available in a brown stained walnut (pre war) or a BlondeIt finish (post war). It was not a pretty camera. There were a few available new in the 80s. It sold new for 275.00 in 1988. I get asked all the time if its a collectable. I never know how to answer that. There were not many made. Its not a versatile camera. A few clever photographers use them as stereo cameras.