Houghton’s Ensign Cupid

A unique camera that doubled the number of exposures on a roll of film.

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Born from the design of a camera that would move plates and sheet film across the plane of the camera, but was never produced, the Cupid is one of the more idiosyncratic models produced by a company that wasn’t afraid to push the boundaries.

Why is Houghton’s Ensign Cupid a Landmark Camera?

1: The first camera to use dual red windows.
2: The first camera to take 16 exposures on a roll of film.

Thinking outside the box form

The Cupid took the unusual guillotine shutter and framing devices from the original idea and applied them to a new T-shaped body, detailed in patent number 194897. This patent is for the shape only, with neither the shutter nor finders included in any patents.

Entitled ‘Improvements in or relating to roll film photographic cameras having rigid bodies’ and submitted in February 1922, the patent describes the aim ‘to produce a rigid camera body of simple and relatively cheap construction, and which is compact, and of small bulk there being practically no waste space as in the well-known rectangular box type of camera body.’

The Cupid is logically divided into two parts with separate functions. Part A forms the main T-shaped body of the camera, containing lens, shutter and finders. Part B is the film back enclosing the spools and displaying the two red windows; very curiously this is the feature for which the Cupid is noted for today, but there’s no mention of the dual windows or doubling up of exposures in the patent (apparently this was covered by an earlier patent of 1914).

The ‘compact form and attractive appearance’ that Houghton’s were after was partially met. The camera is certainly more compact than the standard box form, but attractive it isn’t. Though perfectly usable, it has the appearance of afterthought. The enormous finders jutting out of the small body look ungainly. Taking photos with the Cupid is a unique experience. A silver button atop the nose of the camera is drawn up, revealing a metal plunger. When fully drawn out it cocks the shutter and then be pushed down again. The shutter release is a silver button, bottom right at the front of the camera

The crackle paint finish, produced in black, blue and grey, keeps the camera just the right side of ugly. As well as the paint variations, I have noticed nameplate variations. My copy has the name of the camera hyphenated as ‘Ensign-Cupid’ and displays two patent numbers, one of which is provisional (194897 and 24360). Other versions of the camera I have seen may have the hyphen removed and have a different pairing of patent numbers (194897 and 207367). Additionally, these variations also give the design and manufacturers name as Houghton-Butcher. This is entirely missing on my copy.

I can only deduce that my Cupid is an early model, produced before patent 207367 for the guillotine shutter was granted and before Houghton’s Ltd changed name to Houghton-Butcher Ltd (see the box for clarification on the confusing relationship between Houghton’s Ltd and W. Butcher & Sons Ltd).

1914
When Great Britain entered the First World War, the Trading with the Enemy Act made it an offence to conduct business with any person of “enemy character”. This act deprived W. Butcher & Sons Ltd of many of their popular lines of cameras. For instance, the Watch Pocket Carbine was made for Butcher’s by ICA.
1915
The Houghton-Butcher Manufacturing Company Ltd was formed, pooling the manufacturing resources of Butcher’s at Blackheath and Houghton’s at Walthamstow. However, cameras continue to be marketed and sold as distinct brands and as separate sales businesses.
1925
Houghton’s Ltd changes name to Houghton-Butcher (Great Britain) Ltd.
1930
Houghton-Butcher (Great Britain) Ltd changes name to Ensign Ltd, but manufacturing business remains Houghton-Butcher Manufacturing Company Ltd.

So is there any redemption for the camera in use?

Any love for Cupid?

Photographs taken with the Ensign Cupid

I took the Cupid to my local beach and exposed some expired film. Though the camera was novel and fun to use, the results were pretty much what I expected!

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Further Reading:

Art Deco Cameras
Early Photography