This is the camera O'Connor used for his articles and books, after guying it in the 1930s. Acquired it a decade ago, during the fundraiser auction that's part of the annual 2-day celebration event at the Jack O'Connor Hunting Heritage and Education Center in Lewiston, Idaho. Jack's son Bradford donated the camera and an enlarged B&W photo showing Jack on a hunt with the camera, and Eileen made the winning bid.

This year we were invited to the celebration, which begins today, and decided to re-donate the camera and photo to the auction. But we couldn't get there, due to a major spring snowstorm over the pass we drive over to get to Lewiston. So instead we're putting the camera and photo up for sale here, asking $1500, which will be donated the O'Connor Center. (The price includes shipping in the U.S.)

Fantastic piece of History.

I'll bet most of us will never see this come up for sale again!
GLWS.

Wow John and well said Don - what a great piece of history

Grew up on Jack O'Connor. Have several of his books. Perhaps you can make the annual event next year and donate it to the auction. Thanks for posting this. GLWYS

Wow. Does it still work?

My father acquired one of these as well as a Leica while he was overseas in WWII. A teetotaler, he traded his liquor ration for them. It is interesting to compare them because the Contax is designed to circumvent the Leica patents. These were the best 35mm cameras on the market in the 30’s and 40’s. I hope you are offering this camera to photography buffs as well as jack O’Connor fans.

Holy cow

Not something you see everyday

Hank

Awfully good of you John & Eileen. Thank you.

does it use 270 caliber film...

We're both in our 70s, and the O'Connor Heritage Center always needs funds to keep operating. Which are the two reasons we decided not to wait a year....

Don't know, have never tried it. But also don't know why it wouldn't....

Don't belong to any "photography buff" sites. But just Googled the model "for sale" and found asking prices from $600 to $3000, depending on condition. Though none mentioned who owned 'em before....

John, to help, does it come with documentation from the O'Connor estate?

https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/remembering-jack-oconnor-outdoor-writer/

Appears to show the camera in leather case.

Brad,

The provenance of the scope was documented in the printed auction list when we acquired it--which includes the fact that Bradford O'Connor and his wife Anne donated it. Still have a copy of that list, and would include it.

Edited to show the list:


The pen is pointed at the item. If it's too small read on your screen, can take another photo.

Very neat item John, sorry you couldn’t make it over the hill to the shindig.

Good luck,
Cody

Dang John, that’s too bad! I would have wanted to go to the event myself had I known about it sooner. I would like to take a look at the camera…

Kirk,

That would fine! We're not planning to go anywhere near Bozeman in the near future. Are you headed our way?

John

I am going to the Great Falls gun show, maybe catch you on the way home…

OK.

Here's the auction program, showing the camera was donated by Bradford and Anne O'Connor. This would be included in the package:

SOLD

Someone now owns a true treasure, and supporting a great cause. Well done, John!

John,

I’m so excited to have this piece of O’Connor history coming into our collection. If we can’t own sheep rifle #2, this camera is a very good alternative, IMO. It’s such an integral part of Jack’s career and at the very center of what he did. It’s going to have a special spot in our showroom.

Obviously, we’re huge fans of Jack. The model 70 would not be what it is without Jack O’Connor.

https://pre64win.com/blogs/welcome-...jack-oconnor-and-the-winchester-model-70

Thanks again,

Justin

Being German made I would think it would use 7x57.

Justin,

Very glad you'll have it!

One of the more interesting things I've gotten to do at the O'Connor Center was, thanks to my friends Brad O'Connor and Chet Fitzgerald, is take the #1 .270 out of the display case and weigh it. It went just less than an ounce over eight pounds.

John

The #1 rifle has the standard weight barrel, correct? 8 lb is very respectable for that gun, especially in Biesen’s French walnut. One day I’ll get to hold those sheep rifles! I hope!

Both the #1 and #2 have Featherweight contour barrels, though if I remember correctly one was a factory barreled action and one had the barrel turned down to FWT contour..

The walnut isn't fancy on either the #1 or #2. In fact, more than one of Jack's friends I've met there considered him kind of cheap as far as nice wood went--which as I've noted before might be partly due to having to support a wife and several kids. But there's also the fact that plainer wood weighs less.

I have photos of both rifles. Will look for them and e-mail them to you.

Man that is super cool.

Mercy! I wish I saw this ad sooner - I would've hocked a Leica camera or two for JO'C's Zeiss Contax!! I wonder where the Zeiss Ikonta is.

What a cool camera. And what a wonderful thing to do for the JOC center.

Great piece and great gesture by Mule Deer! I was a JOC fan back in the day and the 270 is still one of my favorite rounds largely due to his writings. He knew of what he spoke.

What a great thing to do! Hats off the John and Eileen!

Friend of mine is there this weekend and is enjoying it all immensely. Mb