Abraham Abraham traded as an optician in Liverpool in the pre-photographic period, advertisements give the establishment date as 1817, later (c. 1849), he formed Abraham & Co. along with Charles Joseph Harbertson West and George Smart Wood as partners, that partnership was dissolved in 1856. Wood continued the business under the Abraham & Co. name. An earlier partnership with John Benjamin Dancer trading as Abraham & Dancer, opticians, at Manchester was dissolved in 1845, the business was carried on by Dancer. An associated business was located in Glasgow.

Following the death of G.S. Wood in 1882 the company was owned by the trustees of his will - John James Wood (son), Susanna Wood (wife) and Caroline H. Wood (daughter). This partnership was ended in 1884, from then the firm was run by John James Wood. At some point the firm came to be owned by John Roberts who traded under the name of Wood Abrahams at 20, Lord Street, he died in 1934, the firm seems to have been finally wound up in 1941.

From 1890 the firm became Adams & Co. at the 81 Aldersgate address. Robert Abraham died in July 1887.

The firm of Robert Abraham was renamed Adams & Co. in 1890. Adams became a limited company on 30th May 1922 with a capitalisation of £9000, the directors were Benjamin Foulkes Winks and Charles John Bannister (see Airs & Co.). The firm was previously owned by Foulkes Winks. Adams later became part of Aeronautical & General Instruments Limited (AGI). Advertisements claim that Adams was founded in 1860, what, if anything, that refers to is not clear.

The manufacturing side of the firm - Adams Manufacturing Co. - is, at one time, shown as a partnership between Foulkes Winks and Herbert Irving Bell. Bell left the partnership in December 1920.

Adams were major manufacturers of high-quality hand and reflex cameras until the First World War period, from then their product range stagnated though their cameras were still built to a very high standard. They also sold field cameras that may have been bought-in.

A visit to the factory by the BJP in 1896 remarks on the use of machinery to automate the production of regular parts. At that time the factory occupied two floors at Bunhill Row. In 1893 the firm's annual outing included 48 people, in 1894 54 attended the outing described as working at the two shops and the factory at Aldersgate buildings.

In 1901 the company was commissioned to build two cameras for the Sultan of Morocco based on the Adams de Luxe detective camera; one, of quarter-plate size, was to have solid gold fittings the other, of half-plate size, was to have silver fittings. There is a photograph of the two cameras in the British Journal of Photography July 1901. The weight of the quarter-plate was 13 pounds and cost £2100 the other cost £900.

Arthur Lewis Adams

Benjamin Foulkes Winks

Henry Hill, co-patentee with Adams on four patents, was briefly in partnership with Adams.

Adams often included an emblem on their cameras, before around 1914 the emblem was a stylised A surmounted by a crown or a crown alone, later a Lion's head was placed above the A, in advertisements this change corresponds with 'Trade Mark' being added to the emblem.

The BJA of 1894 shows the Aldersgate Buildings and Aldersgate St. buildings. The BJA of 1899 shows a drawing of the Charing Cross and Bunhill buildings. 24 and 26 Charing Cross Road were the same building, Kelly lists it as next to Cecil Court (north side), it still exists.

Diagram showing the relationship between the Newman, Adams and Sinclair companies.

Wholesale supplier specialising in the manufacture of camera cases but also sold cameras and accessories. Richard Thomas Adams.

Part of Aeronautical & General Instruments Limited.

Retailer. Established in 1885 as Kundandass & Co. in 1900 the name was changed to D.A. Ahuja.

Airs & Co. were started in Croydon around 1886, they specialised in lantern equipment and later developed a general wholesale business, a Bessus camera was also advertised. In 1898 the name of the firm was changed to Bessus. In 1897 George Richard Dunn and Charles John Bannister (b. 1869. See Adams & Co.) joined Airs from Joseph Levi & Co. The original partner, George Percival Spooner, left the firm in 1899. In 1904 the firm was taken over by W. Butcher & Sons.

Patents are in the name of John Airs.

The firm, established in 1864, were wholesalers and importers especially of sensitised paper. The works at Cathcart became F.W. Vérel & Co. around 1891, previously their products had been distributed by Albion Albumenizing. In May 1887 one of the partners in the firm - George Donaldson Finlayson - left, the business was continued by the remaining partners, James Skinner and John Morison Skinner.

Aldis Brothers was established in 1902 when Hugh Lancelot Aldis left Dallmeyer to form his own lens manufacturing company. H.L. Aldis (b. 1870 d. 1945) was elected a member of the RPS in 1894. The Photographic Dealer for June 1903 carries an interesting article on the company and describes the manufacturing process, of interest is that Aldis turned their own brass work and made iris diaphragms.

Aldis became part of the Rank Organisation and in 1971 the company was placed into administration.

Produced a type of reflex camera, The Algate, in 1894. Thomas Henry Algate.

Established 1868. The Photographic Dealer for December 1901 gives a report on the company. David Allan sold the business around 1892, in 1899 it was again sold to H. Le Marquand and Mr. Colley. Following the death of Le Marquand in 1902, J. Hazell ran the firm, he was previously manager.

Originally a cabinet maker who took up photography as a Daguerreotypist and later returned to manufacturing.

Camera and dark-slide manufacturers probably supplying the trade.

The partnership between George Carnell and Walter Alfred Allen, camera makers, was dissolved in 1899.

The Alliance Roll Film Camera Co. Ltd was registered in 1902 with capital of £10,000 and wound up in 1904. It was set up by the leading wholesalers in Britain to manufacture roll-film equipment and films which would then be distributed by each of the participating companies. Although the stated purpose was to manufacture it seems more likely that the manufacturing facilities associated with the participating companies were utilised with Alliance having a commissioning and coordinating role. The original partners were: Barclay and Sons; Busch Camera Co.; W. Butcher and Sons; Jonathan Fallowfield; G. Houghton and Son; Marion and Co.; F. Newbery and Sons; John Sanger and Son; W. Sutton and Sons; C. Tyler and England Brothers.

The formation of Alliance was in response to Kodak by-passing the wholesale trade and selling direct to the retailer at a discounted price (essentially Kodak were attempting to monopolise the market), the trade magazine - Photographic Dealer - expended much ink on the subject. Alliance was wound up after only two years, this was possibly related to the expansion of G. Houghton into Houghton Ltd.

A.W.S. Sanderson worked with Thornton-Pickard before starting the Altrincham Rubber Co. in 1901, they specialised in india-rubber goods but also produced other items such as shutters, by 1904 they employed 24 men.

The addresses given are for Walter O'Reilly patentee of the Demon camera. As well as the Demon, conventional field cameras, such as the Cleveland, were advertised.

O'Reilly lived at 399 Edgware Rd. from 1882 or 1883 until September 1893. At some point, a stable behind 399 was converted into a factory. From April 1894 he moved into 383 Edgware Road for business and residence.

The American Camera Company, Limited was incorporated on January 30th 1892, the nominal capital was £15,000 in 15,000 shares of £1 each, there were seven shareholders, Walter O'Reilly holding 3,000 ordinary and 1,000 preference shares. O'Reilly sold the business to the company for £7,000, of which £4,000 was to be paid in shares, and £3,000 in cash, there was no subscription by the public. The firm was wound up on 4th September 1893.

Cameras were not the only item produced or sold from the factory, a court case mentions electric motors, bells and telephones. At some time there were twenty to thirty men and girls employed at the factory.

A.P.M. was formed in 1921 by the merger of Rotary Photographic Co. (1917) Ltd, Paget Prize Plates Co. Ltd, Rajar Ltd, Marion & Co. Ltd, Marion & Foulger Ltd, A. Kershaw & Son Ltd and Kershaw Optical Co. Ltd. Later in 1921 they became leading shareholders in Thornton-Pickard Manufacturing Co.

On the 1st February 1929 the sensitive materials side of the company was re-formed as APEM Ltd, this was formed by the Marion, Paget and Rajar divisions. Shortly afterwards APEM was incorporated into the Ilford group.

A.P.M. was renamed Soho Ltd, as the sales division for the manufacturing company of A. Kershaw & Son.

By 1942 Soho Ltd. was listed as a branch of A Kershaw & Son. Following the war the Soho name re-emerged as Kershaw-Soho (Sales) Ltd. Around 1947 Kershaw-Soho was part of the J. Arthur Rank Organisation (through British Optical and Precision Engineers Ltd. a subsidiary of Rank).

In the 1922 BJA the directors are shown as: A.E. Parke (Rajar, Rotary and Wiggins Teape, chairman); Abram Kershaw (Kershaw and Son, Kershaw Optical); Cecil Kershaw (Kershaw and Son, Kershaw Optical); T.L. Parke (Rajar, Rotary and Wiggins Teape); A.G. Pickard (T-P); H.C. Rich (Marion and Foulger); F.G. Thomas (Marion); George Sydney Whitfield (Paget); L.D. Whitfield (Paget); C.F.S. Rothwell (Rajar and Rotary, joint MD); Gerald M. Bishop (Marion, joint MD). An earlier list does not include A.G. Pickard.

Appleton were retailers specialising in lantern equipment and slides. In 1896 they took over the photographic side of the firm Percy Lund and in 1902 the business of Cecil Wray. In the 1890s they moved into cinematography, making films and selling equipment including the Cieroscope, a cine projector or combined camera, printer and projector.

Established in 1848 by W.F. Archer, at that time they specialised in lantern goods. Following the death of W.F. Archer the firm was run by his three sons, W.J. Archer, F.H. Archer and F.W. Archer. In 1898 Wood Brothers was taken over and in 1900 Wormald & Co. was added though Wormald continued to trade under its own name (these two firms may have been connected). By 1904 the firm was run by F.H. Archer, his brother ran a branch business in St. George's Crescent.

Following the takeover or amalgamation with Stokes, the company name is given as G & N Stokes & Archer and later as G & N Stokes (Archer & Sons).

Retailers but also sold cameras under their own name.

Listed as photograph dealers in the 1893 Kelly and photographers from 1896. Sold the 'Zoka Hand Camera' in 1893.

The firm is best known for its tripods especially the Giraffe of 1900, early products included cameras notably the Patent model of 1887. Founded in 1883. James Ashford.

Founded in 1845 by J.J. Atkinson (d. 1898). In early advertisements they are styled 'American Wholesale & Retail Stores' at this time they specialised in photograph cases and mounts. Frederick Atkinson left the firm in 1900, C.H. Atkinson then ran the company. Atkinson Brothers was registered in 1903 with capital of £1500.

The firm was founded in 1868 when J.R. Johnson, Ernest Edwards and others bought the patent rights, along with the manufacturing and printing facilities, for the carbon process from J.W. Swan (BP 503/1864). John Frederick Boyes was listed as secretary at this time.

In 1873 the manufacturing and printing side of the company was sold to J.A. Spencer, J.R. Sawyer, and W.S. Bird who from then traded as Spencer, Sawyer, Bird & Co. The partnership was dissolved in 1874 when Spencer left the company though he later worked for the Autotype Co. from which he retired in 1877. The publishing side of the firm - Autotype Fine Art Co. (chairman W.H. Benyon-Winsor) - was wound up at the end of 1872, whether it then became part of Spencer, Sawyer, Bird or traded separately is not clear.

In 1875 the company was reorganised as The Autotype Co. W.S. Bird left the company around 1893.

Charles Sawyer, the son of J.R. Sawyer, was manager of the business for several years. Sawyer and Bird ran a photographic studio at 87 Regent Street between 1870 and 1873, this then became Sawyer, Bird & Foxlee. Spencer operated a studio and albumen paper manufactory at Shepherd's Bush.

E.W. Foxlee's association with the firm ended at the start of 1886.

Baird are listed as scientific instrument makers and chemical dealers, photographic equipment was limited but included the Lothian stereo viewer, they also distributed the Todd-Forret flash lamp, still advertised in 1926. The initials A H B in a triangle was used as a symbol, later the trade mark of the initials in a tripod top was registered.

Baird were predominantly dispensing opticians. T Baird & Sons was dissolved in 1933 when Thomas Baird retired, the business was carried on under the same name by John and William Torrence Baird at the 71 Queen St. address. Arthur Baird carried on business at Shawlands. The business at 54 St. Enoch Street was transferred to Alexander Baird in 1931.

In 1970 House of Fraser acquired T Baird & Son Ltd, previously owned by Selincourt & Sons Ltd of London.

Previously Robert Ballantine was with Lizars, in 1908 he opened his own shop as an optician and photographic dealer.

Established in 1770 as druggists they later expanded to general chemist and related goods. They sold the Farringdon enlarger and a range of cheap cameras. The firm was voluntarily wound up and restructured in 1896, George Robert Barclay was appointed liquidator.

Took over the firm of S. Hulme in 1894. The firm last advertised in the British Journal of Photography Almanac for 1927 (Patent Turbine Print Washer).

Beard was previously working for W. Oakley & Co.

Richard Beck was the first brother to join the firm followed by Joseph Beck. James Smith (d. 1870) retired from the business in 1865, (There was another James Smith microscope maker working at the Royal Exchange in the 1820s.) In 1882 the partners running the firm are shown as Joseph Beck, Robert Kemp and Charles Coppock, in that year Coppock retired from the business. By 1900 Conrad Beck and William Beck Jr. were associated with the firm.

Beck specialised in the manufacture of microscopes, their works in north London was named 'Lister Works' after J.J. Lister the famous microscopist who helped establish the company. From the 1850s they sold stereo viewers of their own design and later manufactured photographic lenses. Camera production seems to have started in the late 1880s and continued until the First World War. Lens production was resumed after the war.

The July 1898 issue of the Photographic Dealer carries an interesting article on the manufacture of the Frena at the Lister works. All the parts were made in-house, parts were made by an individual workman as required based on drawings, jigs and templates, these were then used to replenish stores. Measurements were to 1/100" with fine tolerance levels ensuring the parts were interchangeable. The machinery used amounted to customised lathes, drills, saws etc. This was probably typical of how many workshops operated at the time, it required highly skilled workmen and resulted in low production figures; a long way from the mass production of cameras in factories that was starting to operate in America.

F.O. Bynoe who worked for or was connected with the firm since around 1891 left Beck in 1903 to join Brooks-Watson as business manager, Bynoe had patented a printing frame sold by Beck.

Large retail store, originally ironmongers. They retailed photographic products and sold cameras under their own brand name of Lightening. All addresses are close to each other.

Bethhell was primarily a cardboard box manufacturer. He also manufactured and patented a cheap box camera, another patent was for a dark-slide. A multi-exposure camera was advertised in 1914. Photographic patents were: BP 7799/1898 and BP 2965/1896. Other patents were issued for cardboard items.

Manufacturer or possibly wholesaler of hand cameras, one being the Malden another the Ohio.

Photographic dealer established in 1860. His early career was as an artist then as a photographer and picture frame maker. The period as a photographic dealer probably dates from the mid-1880s. He was at the Medlock St. address from before 1881 until after 1901. In 1863 a John Biddle, photographer, was at 58 Peel Terrace, Bury New Road. John Biddle b. Birmingham 1829.

Billcliff was established in 1860, in 1881 he employed 7 men and 2 boys, describing himself in the census of that year as a cabinet maker. He made cameras for Thornton-Pickard and others in the Manchester area. An 1886 advertisement states that he was making McKellan's camera [sic], presumably, the S.D. McKellen Patent camera. Around 1890 the firm employed 53 men. An advertisement from 1867 shows him to be making cameras.

Following Billcliff's death the firm was run by his sons, a report of a visit to the firm in 1904 mentions a brass workshop and up-to-date machinery, by that time the supply of process equipment was becoming important. The firm was still listed in the 1943 BJA.

The April 1898 issue of the Photographic Dealer records a visit to the new factory at Stetchford and shows the camera making shop. John Boultbee Brooks was connected with the firm.

The partnership between William Russell Bland and Charles Albert Long was dissolved in September 1858. Bland died in 1863, the premises were then occupied by Negretti & Zambra. Long was working for Negretti & Zambra in 1864.

Bland proposed a camera for dry collodion plates where a box was attached to rails underneath the camera the whole was covered with a dark cloth. Plates were lifted by hand from the box and placed in the dark slide.

In 1851 Bland was working at Horne & Thornthwaite with E.G. Wood in Newgate street. Long was apprenticed to Edward Palmer in 1843.

Books by Charles Long: Practical Photography on glass and paper. A manual containing simple directions for the production of portraits, views, etc. by the agency of light, including the collodion, albumen, calotype, waxed paper and positive paper processes, 1854. The Dry Collodion Process, 1857.

Advertisements from the mid-1880s show him as a camera manufacturer, later he describes himself as a dealer.

Listed as chemists. The partnership between Bolton and Barnitt was dissolved in January 1864. Francis Barnitt was probably linked with Perrins & Barnitt of 22 Conduit St. An advertisement from 1858 describes Bolton as being "late C. Button and formerly Dymond & Co.".

In 1856 Bolton's advertisement stated 'Preparations manufactured by him for photographic purposes, especially collodion for positives and negatives, pure neutral nitrate of silver for negative baths, chloride of gold, crystal varnish, cyanogen paste, etc.; also, to his Stock of photographic papers, by Turner, Canson, Towgood, and other makers. Sole importer of the genuine German paper for positives. Photographic and Chemical Apparatus'.

Manufacturer of stereoscopes, cards, slides and albumen paper. Robert Boning was later a photographer at 162 Regent St. The Partnership between Robert Boning (the younger) and Henry Ashford, was dissolved in December 1861.

Manufacturer of the Tayleure dark slide (BP 6992/1888).

Advertised a field camera disguised as a book in 1892.

The British Film Stock Company manufactured film primarily for the cinema. The Raw Film Co. Ltd. was a subsidiary. The Ashstead plant, which was formerly the Cadett & Neal factory, was opened in late 1916.

The Raw Film Co. Ltd was purchased by the British Film Stock Company Limited in January 1919 for £29,838, by the issue of British Film Stock shares to Raw Film preference shareholders. Later in 1919, British Film Stock changed its name to Brifco Ltd. The company was wound up in 1929.

This firm introduced the Duoflex camera in 1930 based on the patents of Arthur Edward Bettles (GB 359,656/1931 and 62,045/1931). The company was voluntarily wound up in 1937. The listed address of the company was 113 Queen's Rd, London. This is the same address as H.E. Manistre who was described as agents for the Duoflex.

The company is listed for only a few years, it advertised in the 1913 British Journal Almanac and was forced to close at the start of World War I. The assets were sold off in 1918 (Trading with the Enemy Amendment Act, 1918).

At the same address was Benson Sharp, he was a patentee in various fields and, in 1920, patented a ferrotype camera. He was born in Przemysl and would therefore have been classed as an Austro-Hungarian citizen.

British Photographic Industries Ltd was a holding company formed in 1915 holding majority shares in Houghtons, Butcher & Sons, Butchers Film Services, Houghton-Butcher Mfg. Co., Austin Edwards and Fordham & Co. In 1920 shares in BPI were offered to the public.

The net 'surplus' for BPI for the year ending April 1923 was £293, for 1924 £110 and 1925 £155. For 1925 the subsidiary companies made a trading profit of £11,813 as against a loss of £11,977 for the previous year.

Photographic studio established in 1865. There were a lot of Warwick Brookes, this one, b. 1843, is the nephew of the artist. Another (b. 1854) the son of the artist was a photographer who for a time also had a studio in Manchester, he later moved to Marple Bridge. The studio at 350 Oxford Road was still active in 1929.

J.E. Brown advertised in the 1888 BJA as the manufacturer of "the Combination, the Ariel and other cameras and accessories". The Combination used Brown's patent 2496/1885. He was situated at 26 Bowling Green Lane, with a factory at 13a Ann Street. These two premises are in the same area of Clerkenwell.

Brown produced two types of stereo attachment that fitted the front of a camera, he also developed a stereo viewer, published anaglyph postcards, published a book - 'Stereoscopic Phenomena of Light & Sight' and printed a magazine.

John Browning took over 'Spencer, Browning' at the start of 1862 when the partnership between him and his father, William, was dissolved. He continued to trade under the Spencer, Browning name until around 1871. Whilst still in partnership the firm was predominantly supplying nautical and marine instruments, John Browning shifted the focus towards optical instruments, especially spectrometers, though still supplying mathematical and general scientific instruments.

'Spencer, Browning' were the successors to 'Spencer, Browning & Rust' which had traded under different names and with different partners for many years, Browning claims establishment around 1760. The firm supplied equipment to Talbot.

John Browning patented an improvement to the stereoscope in 1856. In the early 1870s Adam Hilger was foreman at the Browning workshop. Bankruptcy proceedings were started in 1881. The firm was registered in June 1900 with capital of £3000 and taken over.

In 1847 'Spencer, Browning' took over the business of George Stebbing, Sen., of 66 High Street Portsmouth, Optician and Mathematical Instrument Maker, this branch of the firm was run by Samuel John Browning. At the end of 1855 S. J. Browning left the partnership and continued business in Portsmouth for a time under the 'Spencer, Browning' name.

Optician and photographic retailer. Advertised the Stafford field camera in 1899.

Established in 1858, as opticians. In the 1860s they were advertising as lens and camera makers, from the 1900s they are advertising lenses. Charles Burr (b. 1839, d. 1902) was living at the Devon's Rd. address in 1881.

Established in 1880 by Sir Henry Wellcome and S.M. Burroughs. From 1948 photographic products were distributed by Johnsons. Tabloid photographic developers were listed in 1895.

Adjudged bankrupt in 1863, this was annulled in 1866. He had ceased trading as an optician by 1880.

Butcher's origins are as chemists in Blackheath, whilst still at Blackheath they moved into the wholesale supply of photographic goods. Rapid expansion of the firm followed the move to Farringdon Avenue. Products were sold under their own brand names (e.g. Primus, Carbine, Valu).

In 1904 they took over Bessus & Co. of Hatton Garden and in 1907 the firm of 'Chas. Tyler and England Bros' (TEB) was added. Tyler were leading manufacturers of photographic mounts and had developed a large wholesale business, following the take over, the Copenhagen St. works were retained. In 1926 the company merged with Houghtons Ltd to form Houghton-Butcher (Great Britain) Ltd.

The St Bride and Farringdon Avenue addresses are for the same building. These two streets faced each other as they joined Shoe Lane and Stonecutter street. Farringdon Avenue was built in the early 1890s through what was Farringdon market, it remained until the Second World War when that area was heavily bombed, Fleet Buildings now stands on the site.

William Butcher died in December 1903. William F. Butcher and F.E. Butcher were associated with the firm in the early 1900s. A photograph of W.F. Butcher is contained in the Photographic Dealer for June 1902.

F.O. Bynoe joined the firm in the autumn of 1904.

In 1914 the directors were William F. Butcher (Managing Director), Frank E. Butcher, Isidor Joseph, Alec J. Jones, C. Garner and Charles Tyler. The staff at the time was over 650.

The chemist outlet in Blackheath became Butcher, Curnow & Co. Ltd in 1904.

The company was founded in August 1892. In 1903 it was bought by Eastman, after the move to Wealdstone it was merged with Kodak though the company name was retained. Walter Neal was the brother-in-law of James Cadett.

James William Thomas Cadett was a member of the RPS from 1878.

A Kinnear pattern camera exists signed Callaghan. Agents for Voigtländer lenses in the early 1860s.

The firm is first listed in the 1900 trade directories, in July 1900 the partnership between Walter Charles Grubb and Charles Frederick Bamford was dissolved, the business being continued by Grubb. By 1906 Albert Nixon was in partnership with Grubb and the firm had moved to Hackney. In that year (1906) the partnership between Grub and Nixon was dissolved, Nixon continued the business which was still listed until 1921. The firm probably manufactured for the trade, advertisements show field cameras and process equipment.

Manufacturers and dealers in optical and especially cine equipment. Cecil Wray & Co. Ltd was registered with capital of £5,000, the directors were W.A. Thornton, Cecil Wray and C. Atkinson. The business was taken over by R.J. Appleton & Co. in 1902.

When the Baxter & Wray partnership ended Cecil William Baxter continued the optical and electrical business under the name 'C. W. Baxter (late Baxter and Wray)'.

Manufacturer and supplier of scientific and optical instruments, later, specialised in telegraph equipment for use on ships and similar equipment. Until the end of 1864 he was part of Chadburn Brothers of Sheffield, along with Alfred Chadburn and Francis Wright Chadburn.

Advertisements proudly state that they were 'Optician and Instrument Maker, to H.R.H. Prince Albert'. The supply of photographic equipment must have been only a very small part of the business and probably limited to the 1850s and 60s.

Books by W.I. Chadwick: The Stereoscopic Manual.

Chambers are listed as photographic paper manufacturers they also advertised the Uranium Dry Plate. The Uranium Dry Plate Co. name was used for a while from the mid-1870s. Herbert Kerr was in partnership with George Mason trading as William Chambers & Co., the partnership was dissolved in Oct 1873. Formed part of the Photographic Artists' Co-operative Supply Association in 1877.

The company was founded in 1874 after the partnership with J.B. Payne (trading as Payne & Chapman) was dissolved. Chapman started work in 1858 for Josiah Thomas Slugg, a chemist in Manchester, he then moved, in 1868, to work for Robert Hampson (previously the business of J.J. Pyne at 63 Piccadilly) a chemist who supplied photographic goods. On the retirement of Hampson (1871), Chapman and a fellow employee took over the business to form Payne & Chapman.

The firm operated as dispensing chemists as well as dealing in photographic goods, the dispensing side of the business was later dropped allowing Chapman to concentrate on photographic items which included the manufacture of an early dry plate. A relationship developed with Joshua Billcliff, they jointly patented cameras and Billcliff cameras, such as the British, were sold under the Chapman name.

On the death of J.T. Chapman in 1907 the firm was run by William Hughes. James Gardiner Chapman the son of J.T. Chapman became Managing Director in 1917. In 1962 Josiah's grandson E.H. Richards became Managing Director.

Cameras sold by Chapman sometimes carry the maker's name, examples being: "Made by J.L. Lane & Sons for J.T. Chapman" and "Lejeune & Perken made for J.T. Chapman". Another has the label "The Artists Tailboard made for J.T. Chapman 168 Deansgate"

A photograph of J.T. Chapman is in the Photographic Dealer for June 1902.

Patentee and maker of stereoscopes, publisher of stereo slides and views. Photographic dealer. Bankruptcy proceedings were started in 1859, which he seems to have survived. Later he was in partnership with Charles Granvill (as Chappuis & Granvill), this was dissolved in 1869. Patented an improved stereoscope in 1857 that used a reflector to cast light on the card (reviewed in the Athenaeum Nov 1857) and folding stereoscopes in 1858.

James Christie was active from the 1890s or before, in the 1900s they sold lantern accessories. Around 1906 they took over Lonsdale Brothers.

C. S. & E. was founded in 1881, in the early 1900s the owner is given as Richard Green. It became part of Wallace Heaton in 1929 but continued to trade under its own name. The Central Wholesale Photographic Supply Co. was also operating from 81 Aldersgate in 1899, with R. Green as manager.

C. S. & E were retailers but also sold cameras under their brand name of Salex.

Supplier of philosophical instruments, known to have retailed cameras in the early 1840s.

Clifford's catalogue of c. 1863 shows several high-quality cameras including items from Ottewill. Clifford is also listed as a photographer at the same address. From the mid-1860s the business concentrated on artist's supplies and the sale of prints.

Shown as optician, lens maker, dealer and importer. Later listed as manager of other optical companies. In later years he was connected with the Société des Lunetiers, presumably importing goods from France.

Arthur Albert Collings used the name Arthur Esme Collings during his time in photography.

Esme Collings Ltd was registered in 1901 with the large capital of £20,000. The first directors were: Sir C. G. Walpole, C. B. Fry, A. A. Collings, R. B. Hope, and C. E. Lyon. The firm was put into liquidation in April 1907.

From the early 1900s Collings tended towards portrait painting rather than photography, the studios in London, Liverpool and Manchester were managed by Richard Berwick Hope. The Hove outlets became Esme Collings (Hove) Ltd. It is not clear what day-to-day involvement Collings had in the studios. Collings' wife, Keturah, was also a photographer and ran studios in London.

Chas. G. Collins was established in 1858 and listed as a camera manufacturer. They probably made cameras for the trade but around the mid-1880s started advertising under their own name. In 1887 T.J. Collins patented a method of locking the front standard of a camera, an advertisement from the same year from Chas. G. Collins shows a drawing of the patent. For one year (1889) T.J. Collins is also listed as a manufacturer at 29 High St. St John's Wood, but the following year the address is occupied by his widow Mrs. H.F. Collins. Collins was granted a licence to use McKellen's patents. Bankruptcy proceedings are recorded in 1874.

These two companies are closely connected, in 1900 Columbia took over Monroe Camera Co. and Goldman & Co. Ltd, S.L. Goldman was in charge of Columbia. Columbia ceased trading in 1902 when J. Levi purchased their remaining stock. Goldman were at one time agents for the Monroe Camera Co. and shared an address. It would seem that, in Britain, Monroe existed in name only and that distribution was by Goldman. With the merger of Monroe in the United States into the Rochester Optical and Camera Company, the agency for Britain was lost. To preserve the firm, Columbia was created to distribute cameras made by Mangold in the UK. In its short existence Mangold/Columbia may have modified left over stock rather than manufactured cameras from scratch, advertisements show models that are clearly of American origin.

Compass Cameras Limited was incorporated in 1936, it went into voluntary liquidation in September 1939 and was dissolved in 1948.

For a description of the Compass camera and information on Pemberton Billing see Compass II.

Formed in 1908 by Carl Drexler and Dr. August Nagel, in 1919 they acquired Nettel to form Contessa-Nettel. In the UK Conetssa cameras were distributed C. W. Casswell and for a time used the trade mark Countess, Countess Cameras the showroom for Contessa opened in 1911. The following year, 1912, the distributors were O. Sichel & Co. the Countess name was by then dropped.

Primarily chemists and druggists, they also sold photographic equipment and supplies. Albumen paper is advertised which they probably produced themselves. Portrait lenses with their signature are known.

Dealers. The two addresses were then occupied by the Photographic Apparatus & Chemical Co. Ltd. Joseph Montague Copeland.

K.G. Corfield (Sales) Ltd. (Charlotte St. and Newman St. addresses) was a sales office after the manufacturing branch moved from Wolverhampton to Northern Ireland. Camera production ended around 1962/63.

In 1939 the firm was owned by Frederick John Pettifer. The style of name used by the company does not seem to be correct as Coronet Camera Co. Ltd was used in a Ministry of Home Security document dated 1940. The firm was later part of Dufay Ltd.

The main works were destroyed by bombing in the war.

The Cox families (there were a lot of them) sold general scientific and optical equipment. In an 1858 catalogue Cox claims the firm has been established for 130 years. F.J. Cox started in business around 1856/57 and for one year listed the 100 Newgate Street address as well as Skinner Street. His father, Frederick Cox (1810 – 1900), had premises at 100 Newgate Street and later 98 Newgate Street that firm became Frederick Cox & Co. The family was probably related to the Cox firm at the Barbican.

F.J. Cox was an important manufacturer and supplier of photographic equipment especially during the wet-plate period. He was a practising optician and produced early versions of the Sutton panoramic lens. From 1882 the business of F.J. Cox was continued by H & E.J. Dale at 26 Ludgate Hill.

The Skinner street address is sometimes styled "City of London Photographic Establishment", it is in the area of Snow Hill.

In 1882 Frederick James Cox was living at The Laurels, High St. Dulwich, sometime before 1891 he moved to Eastbourne where he is shown as an optician (probably at 56 Terminus Rd).

Books by F.J. Cox: Photographic Tourist. Compendium of Photography, 1856.

Crouch are best known as makers of microscopes, they advertised camera lenses and cameras from the late 1880s until the early 1890s. H. & W. Crouch are recorded at 64A Bishopsgate St. in the 1860s, this partnership was dissolved in 1866, Pearce Henry Crouch (known as Henry) continued to trade under the H. & W. Crouch name. Crouch was before the bankruptcy court in 1907.

Listed as camera maker and cabinet maker for scientific apparatus.

Charles Cusworth is listed in the LPOD directories between 1887 and 1894 at the Bridgewater Sq. address, which is a manufacturing area. C. Cusworth is listed in the BJ Almanac in 1892 and 1893 showing the Leytonstone address. He also advertised a detective camera, the Repeater, and dark slides in the Photography Annual for 1891. A C. Cusworth was awarded a patent for a field camera in 1887 (BP 4710/1887), examples of which exist.

The patentee of the Repeater was Mr. C. Vernon Inkpen, the licence arrangement with Cusworth was ended in 1892. A sales and manufacturing agreement was then agreed with J.F. Shew. The patent has not been located.

H & E.J. Dale carried on the business of F.J. Cox at the old address of 26 Ludgate Hill, the BJA advertisement for 1884 says the business is managed by C.D. Smith and that they have their own works, probably Kirby Street. The partnership between the two brothers was ended on 16th July 1888. Previously Henry Dale was in partnership with Thomas Philip Christopher Crampton trading as Dale & Crampton. H & E.J. Dale are described as opticians, electricians, and manufacturers of photographic and scientific instruments. Dale & Crampton had a similar line of business though not including photographic apparatus.

The Era magazine includes an obituary of E.J. Dale, it states that in his youth he was working for F.J. Cox. He left Cox to pursue a career on the stage as an illusionist and conjurer in this capacity he toured and performed in the United States. He then formed a partnership with his brother Henry and took over the old business of F.J. Cox. This lasted until 1888 when he resumed his career associated with the theatre. The Era states that he worked at one time for R.W. Paul exhibiting films, John Barnes states that in 1897 he was exhibiting at the Crystal Palace using the Animatoscope. As well as performing he manufactured illusion and conjuring equipment.

H. Dale & Co. must have ended when Henry Dale was imprisoned in 1889 for embezzlement.

J.H. Hare (son of George) was working at Dales in the 1880s in Little Britain. A.S. Newman also worked at Dales in the 1880s.

The 26 Ludgate Hill address was occupied by Price, Talbot & Co. in 1890 and then Price & Co. from 1891, both described as camera manufacturers.

John Henry Dallmeyer (b. 1832, d. 1883) was described as an optician living at West Heath Rd in the 1881 census. Prior to establishing his own company in 1860 he worked for Andrew Ross and before that W. Hewitt. In 1854 he married Hannah Ross daughter of Andrew Ross. His sons were Thomas Rudolphus Dallmeyer (b. 1859, d. 1906) and Richard Dallmeyer (b. 1870). A portrait of T.R. Dallmeyer is shown on the frontispiece of the 1909 BJA.

Dallmeyer advertisements and other sources give the establishment date as 1860, a Notice of Removal in 'Notes & Queries' for 17 December 1859 states that J.H. Dallmeyer has already moved to Bloomsbury Street.

The move to Newman St. took place on the 1st Feb 1888, the move to Mortimer St. took place on 30 Sep 1925. The transfer from the Denzil Rd address to Church End Works occurred late in 1911, the two were adjoining sites; Denzil Road and Willesden High Road are linked by Dallmeyer Road.

Israel Davis (b. 1847, d. 21/1/1927) became chairman of the company around 1900, his son, Cyril Frederick Lan-Davis (b. 1887, d. 1915), was a director of the company and author of 'Telephotography'.

Robert Dawes, William Cameron Simpson. Listed as apparatus manufacturers but elsewhere described as commissioning agents.

William Thomas Dawkins died in 1894 his three sons continued the business but probably for only a short while.

The partnership between William Oswald Leonard Stanley and William Arthur Dawkins Electricians and Electrical Engineers and Manufacturers of Photographic and Scientific Apparatus was dissolved in 1892. Dawkins then ran the company in 1894 he patented a changing box (BP 12119/1894).

Supplied the Cundell camera.

Until around 1910 Dockree was working with Houghtons (patents were issued in their joint names). From c. 1910 he was trading under the name of Walter Dockree & Co. In 1915 he joined Staley, Shew & Co. who continued to sell the Britisher Reflex that was made by Dockree. Staley, Shew traded for only a few years. Dockree then worked for, or collaborated with, Houghton-Butcher on their reflex cameras. Staley's 1916 BJA advertisement states that Dockree has joined the new company and that he was the manufacturer of the Britisher Reflex.

The Drem company was founded around 1924 by Dr. Emil Mayer. The directors of the London firm are given as Dr. Emil Mayer and Alfred Oglesby. Sands & Hunter were at the same address.

Spicer-Dufay Ltd was formed around 1932, Ilford were shareholders. A year later Ilford's stake increased and the company name changed to Spicer-Dufay (British) Ltd. From this time Ilford was handling the manufacture and distribution of Dufay Colour film. In 1936 Dufay-Chromex was formed to handle the distribution, Ilford's involvement decreased from around 1938 though they were still involved in the manufacturing process.

The company structure of Spicer-Dufay and Dufay-Chromex is not clear, there were several trading companies along with purely holding companies. The major firms involved were Spicer, printers, and Ilford. Cinecolor joined at the formation of Dufay-Chromex, which is where the Chromex name comes from. There was also a Dufaycolor Ltd. When Dufaycolor film was ended Dufay Ltd became a holding and investment company, Coronet Ltd was one such acquisition.

The Dufay-Chromex factory at Elstree was the former Wellington & Ward factory.

M.W. Dunscombe took over the business of Braham & Co., to whom he had been an apprentice, in 1874. He was primarily an optician (spectacles) but supplied other optical goods including cameras. They were still advertising cameras in the 1950s.

John Braham died in 1864 and had recently moved from Bristol to London. The 1874 date given above comes from Morrison-Low who gives her source as street directories. In the 1871 census, Dunscombe is described as an Opticians Manager at St Augustine's Parade. In 1866 Dunscombe was made bankrupt whilst living in London as an opticians assistant. At about the same time Frederick Joseph Braham (of Birmingham) and Joseph Braham (of Bristol), two of John Braham's sons, were also made bankrupt.

The Soho Plate Co. was also listed at this address in 1847. An advertisement in the Times (1848) states: Soho Photographic Plates, available from Edkins, 16 Salisbury Sq. London and Thos. Aston, 3 Brook St. Birmingham.

Established in 1893, they briefly became part of Britannia Works in 1895 then resumed business under the previous name. Moved to Warwick around October 1898. The manufacture of roll-film started in 1902. Part of the BPI group from 1915. Edwards was part owner, along with Nelson, Dale & Co., of the Warwick Dry Plate Co.

Austin Edwards was previously in partnership with B.J Edwards. The firm used the trade mark of Setoloid (no. 195983, 198878) from c. 1897.

B.J. Edwards was a photographer and manufacturer of items such as collodion, from around 1881 he started producing dry-plates. Edwards was the first, in 1887, to make orthochromatic plates in Britain. The firm became a limited company in 1900, in the 1906 BJA their advertisement states that the founder (B.J. Edwards) now has control of the company once more. The company was acquired by Leto Photo Materials Co. (1905) Ltd. in 1909. The Ealing works remained and 'Edwards' became a brand name. Benjamin Joseph Edwards was the father of Austin Edwards, after retirement from 'B.J. Edwards' he started a small factory - Wisto - in Hayes Middlesex. A photograph of B.J. Edwards is in the BJA 1926.

In the BJA of 1877 a photographic printers is advertised as B.J. Edwards & Co. at 61 Fleet St., this was a partnership between Edwards and Herbert Montague Wright which was dissolved in 1877. A photo-mechanical process known as Photo-Tint was operated.

At some time Austin Clay Edwards was a partner in B.J. Edwards & Co., this ended in June 1893.

In 1898 W. Edwards retired from the business, his grandson F. Edwards Brown then managed the firm. The firm purchased the factory and machinery (i.e. for apparatus manufacture) of the European Blair Company and manufactured the Hawkmoth camera and other items. The firm was bankrupt in 1900.

Charles Earp Elliott, dealer and importer. Sometimes styled City of London Photographic Stores. Manufacturers of the Cook Patent camera, a model with a built-in changing box.

Established in 1863. The partnership between Joseph John Elliott and Clarence Edmund Fry was dissolved on 31/12/1892, Elliott remained at Baker St. trading as Elliott & Fry. Fry took over the Gloucester Terrace studio trading as C.E. Fry & Son. E.C. Elliott, son of the founder, became sole proprietor in 1903 on the death of his father. Elliott & Fry became a limited company in 1911 with capital of £1000. The company was wound up and taken over in 1963.

The partnership running the printing side of Elliott & Fry in Barnet was dissolved on 31/7/1887, Elliott carried on the business as Elliott & Son manufacturing photographic plates and papers.

The Baker St. studio is described in The Photographic Studios of Europe.

Originally the printing works of Elliott & Fry; in 1887 this part of the business was bought out by J.J. Elliott becoming Elliott & Son which went on to manufacture photographic plates and papers. Elliott remained a partner in Elliott & Fry. The sales division became part of Barnet Ensign in 1945.

Birt Acres was manager of Elliott & Son until 1895.

Primarily printers, enlargers and retouchers. From the late 1890s they sold the Apek range of cameras, some of which were imported from America.

Dry plate manufacturer and supplier. Son of the photographer William England.

Heinrich Ernemann (b. 1850, d. 1297) founded the company in 1889. The change to a limited liability company was around 1899.

The European Blair Camera Co. imported cameras from the United States, they also manufactured film, plates and, for a time, cameras in the UK. The company was wound up in 1903. In 1896 they purchased the Premier Dry Plate Co. of Notting Hill. In 1899 the offices moved to The Mills, Foots Cray, Kent. A factory at Chalk Farm is also mentioned. Following the winding up of the company, the factory and machinery were purchased by the firm of F. Edwards Brown.

An article in The Photogram of 1894 gives some background information on the European Blair company and parent company in the US. The Blair Camera Co. was founded in 1881 with capital of $7,500, European Blair, when formed, had capital of £25,000.

Formed in 1902 by the amalgamation of Evans, Sons & Co. and Lescher & Webb. The predecessors of this firm were various partnerships formed by members of the Evans and Lescher families, based in London and Liverpool, their main business was as wholesale druggists. The earliest reference is for 1843 when they are at 60 Bartholomew Close.

Evans, Sons & Co. sold cameras under the Hanover brand name.

The Evanite Trade name used by the firm for chemical substances was registered in 1911, the addresses given were: 56 Hanover St. Liverpool and 60 Bartholomew Close London (no. 332369).

Jonathan Fallowfield opened a chemist shop in 1856 probably in partnership with William Jameson who retired in 1859. The sale of photographic supplies dates to 1860 or before. In 1888 the firm was bought by F.W. Hindley (d. 1925). In 1930 the directors are given as F. Duncan Hindley, H.J. Traise and E.J. Collier. The Charing Cross and later addresses were often styled 'Central Photographic Stores'. The BJA of 1898 shows an illustration of the Charing Cross Road address, the BJA of 1925 shows illustrations of the Newman St. premises.

The Lower Marsh shop was gutted by fire in January 1885, the photographic department was, at that time, at Oakley street.

Fallowfield lived for most of his life in the Brixton area of London. Frank Miall, associated with Fallowfield cameras, was also from that area.

In his book, Victorian Snapshots, Paul Martin describes a visit to Fallowfields in Lower Marsh.

The image on the right shows the Lower Marsh building, the image far right shows the Oakley St. building.

The Photographic Dealer has a report of a visit to the factory, which states that the firm makes wooden cameras as well as many other items.

Manufacturers of camera brass-work, they may also have manufactured cameras as several wooden models carry their name plate.

The best way of reading the various Fradelle entries is:

• Fradelle & Young 1886 - after 1900.
• F. Albert Fradelle 1877 - 1886.
• Fradelle & Marshall 1872 - 1877.
• Fradelle & Leach 1869 - 1872.
• F. Albert Fradelle 1864 - 1869.

F. Albert Fradelle died 18/10/1884.

The partnership between Fradelle and Eugenia Caroline Bolton (previously Leach) was dissolved on 1 March 1872.

The partnership was declared bankrupt in late 1877. William Shury Marshall then traded from 34 Parliament St.

Louis Aubrey Franks was generally known as Aubrey. He (unless there was a second person of that name) was at 95 Deansgate (and 2,4 King St.) trading as L.A. Franks when made bankrupt in 1879, shortly after that date Aubrey Franks was at 95 Deansgate, trading as A. Franks, optician. The partnership between Aubrey and Benjamin Franks, trading as A & B Franks at 95 Deansgate, was dissolved in 1897.

The Friese Greene and Collings group is quite complicated, Friese Greene had studios in Bath, Plymouth and Clifton, in 1885 he started studios in London, in 1887 he went into partnership with A.A and J.W. Collings, probably to finance the venture, trading as Friese Greene & Collings. The partnership soon collapsed (1888), Friese Greene then worked under his own name for a while before going into partnership with Frederick William Simpson as Friese Greene and Simpson, a short while later this became a limited company.

After the split, the two Collings brothers traded together as J.W. & A.E. Collings and separately as A.E. Collings and Whyte Collings Ltd.

The London Gazette of 1888 notes that the partnership between Arthur Albert Collings, James Whyte Collings and William Friese Greene trading at 69 New Bond St., 92 Piccadilly, 100 and 110 Westbourne Grove, London and 69 Western Rd. Brighton, 34 Gay St. Bath, was dissolved on 1/5/1888. It then goes on to detail how the occupancy of the studios is split, which differs to that shown in trade directories. The addresses shown here are from the trade directories.

The partnership between Friese Greene and Frederick William Simpson trading as Friese Greene and Simpson of Gay St. Bath was dissolved on 25/8/1890. They then formed Friese Greene Simpson and Co. Ltd.

Friese Greene was born William Greene or Green, after his marriage he started to use his wife's maiden name, trade directories show him as Greene, Friese; photograph mounts are signed Friese Greene. Arthur Albert Collings used the name Arthur Esme Collings during his time in photography.

Clarence Edmund Fry was previously one of the partners of Elliott & Fry.

Samuel Fry started work at the London School of Photography, after two or three years he formed his own business as a photographer in 1857 at 79 Kings Road Brighton, he remained at Brighton until around 1860. In 1862 he opened a studio at 83 Gracechurch Street London in partnership with Charles Hamilton Colepeper, trading as Fry and Hamilton. The partnership lasted only until April of that year when it was dissolved. At some point, probably early in 1865, two partners were acquired - Frederick Gush and William J. Ferguson - this partnership, trading as The Globe Photographic Co. and possibly Fry, Gush and Ferguson, was dissolved in July 1865. Gush and Ferguson continued to operate the studio in Gracechurch St. Fry had opened a studio in Kingston-on-Thames and continued business at that address. By 1885 the portrait business had been disposed of allowing Fry to concentrate on dry plate manufacture.

Samuel Fry probably began the commercial manufacture of gelatine dry plates in 1879, it must have been before 1880 as there is an advertisement in the British Journal Photographic Almanac for that year which includes a list of photographers using the Kingston-Special Dry Plate. The plates were manufactured at Kingston-on-Thames. Samuel Fry & Co. Ltd., was wound up in September 1889, the business was carried on by Samuel Herbert Fry, son of Samuel Fry, and Arthur Eugene Hayman trading as Fry Manufacturing Co. That partnership was wound up at the end of 1890 though manufacturing continued until 1892.

Gush and Ferguson operated a studio at 179 Regent St. until 1865 and later at 194 Regent St.

Samuel Herbert Fry (d. 1921) was offering a printing and enlargement service from 12 South Villas Camden Square in 1902, later (1907) he opened a studio at 5 Highbury Grove.

The firm was established in 1885 by Louis Gandolfi who had previously worked for Lejeune & Perken. Gandolfi made extensively for the trade (e.g. Watson, Sands & Hunter) and supplied many government departments with specialised cameras.

The Gandolfi family lived at the Old Kent Rd premises and later at the Hall Rd address. At his death the effects of Louis Gandolfi amounted to £1505. The business was continued by his three sons: Thomas Joseph, Frederick Louis and Arthur Ernest.

Established around 1855, Garland was previously working for Ottewill.

Agents for Ica, Ernemann and Mimosa prior to the formation of Garner & Peeling in 1927.

Formed around 1931 after Garner & Peeling was dissolved. Agents for Ihagee. Later (1940) at 103 The Ridge. Orpington.

Garner & Peeling was formed in 1927 as agents for Zeiss-Ikon in the UK. The firm was wound up at the end of 1930 when Zeiss-Ikon Ltd was formed. C. Garner had previously been the agent for Ica and Ernemann; Peeling & Van Neck (which continued in business) had been the agent for Goerz. After the firm was wound up Garner formed Garner & Jones which handled Ihagee in the UK.

Retailer, especially of high-quality cameras. Gask was previously a manager at London Stereoscopic.

Gaumont was the London agents for Lumière from 1899 to 1901. The British branch became a limited company in 1909, the manager was A.C. Bromhead.

Established in January 1895, T.E.H. Bullen was Managing Director, T. Thorne Baker was chemist to the firm and, in 1904, a director. Bullen resigned in 1904. Curiously the company was wound up in 1901 and reformed.

Founded on 28th June 1894 by Lieven Gevaert (b. 1869, d. 1935). From 1899 their products were distributed in Britain by L. Trapp & Co. Budge Row London. In 1909 Gevaert Ltd was formed and an office under their own name was opened in London. Gevaert Ltd. had capital of £5,000, the shareholders were L. Gevaert, P. Koep and C.J. Miller.

From the early 1840s T.H. Gladwell worked as a carver and gilder from 21 Gracechurch Street the business evolved into selling prints and photographs. A second location, 87 Gracechurch Street, specialised in photographs especially stereos; for a time this was styled the City Stereoscopic Depot. Gladwell's involvement in photographs probably ended with the closing of 87 Gracechurch Street.

H.W. Gladwell, the son of T.H., had for a short time a business at 11 Poultry as a stereoscope importer, he was made bankrupt in 1859. A short time after this he operated as a photographic artist at 5 Ludgate Street. H.W. Gladwell took over the Colonial Tavern at 20 Gracechurch Street around 1879.

On T.H. Gladwell's death in 1879, his sons took over the business at 21 Gracechurch Street under the name of Gladwell Brothers. The Gladwell Brothers partnership was for a defined period and ended in 1891, H.W. and A.T. then split the business (A.E. had died previous to this). Following the split H.W. operated from 25 Philpot Street and 70 & 71 Cheapside as Gladwell & Co. print sellers and fine art dealers. A.T. Gladwell moved from Gracechurch Street to 164 Fenchurch Street with works at 156 Borough (the lease at Gracechurch Street had ended).

Charles F. Gladwell was a 'photographic publisher' with premises in Newman Street in the 1860s (later in partnership with Thomas Richardson as Gladwell, Richardson & Co.).

The firm handled the distribution of Goerz products in the UK, it was wound up during World War I under the 'trading with the enemy' act. Paul Ponge ran the business when it was founded.

The Berlin factory produced lens no. 20,000 at the end of 1894, 100,000 in 1901, no. 250,000 was shown at the 1908 RPS exhibition. A Goerz advertisement in the 1924 BJA says that over 575,000 have been made.

Manufactured an exposure meter.

Gotz were importers and dealers but also patented their own equipment including a shutter and a camera (BP 10594/1885). Their photographic involvement seems to have ended in the late 1890s. John Rudolph Gotz.

Chemists, issued a photographic catalogue around 1860.

An 1854 catalogue mentions a Richard Griffin & Co. of Glasgow. The Playfair Collection catalogue states that the brothers Richard Thomas and John Joseph Griffin set up as dealers and manufacturers of chemical apparatus in Glasgow. This may have been as early as 1826 and was certainly before 1837 for which date there is an apparatus catalogue. The London branch was started around 1848.

Charles Griffin was running the firm in 1885 when discharged from bankruptcy. John Ross Griffin, grandson of John Joseph G., worked at the firm at some point. For a short time, c. 1890 - c. 1892, Robert C. Murray managed the photographic side of Griffin. A.W. Green ran the photographic side from 1911 taking over from a Mr. Ibetson.

Griffin's involvement in photographic supplies expanded in the late 1890s and early 1900s. They were distributors for Velox paper and still manufactured albumen paper. Griffin took over the sensitised paper business of J.D. Mucklow in 1900.

The Duraline Trade Name used by Griffin was registered in 1911 (no. 333341).

Griffiths' earliest advertisements are for photo-lithography and printing services. Enlargers were later sold as a speciality of the firm. In the 1890s cameras were patented and manufactured, in particular the Guinea detective camera. The limited company was formed in 1901 with capital of £2000 and wound up in 1905. The Union St. depot was managed by M.O. Suffield.

Traded as Haes & Vandyk (possibly Carl Vandyk) between 1874 and 1881 from the Wesbourne Grove address. Frank Haes b. 1832 d. 1916.

Manufactured a detective or box camera called the Turnstile.

An advertisement shows a field camera together with enlarging and printing apparatus. The trade mark 'Delograph' was used. The advertisement, from 1894, also states '16 years with the New Zealand Ordnance Survey Department' giving the impression that the firm was recently formed.

George Hare was living at the Pentonville Road address in 1861, at that time he employed eight men and one boy. In 1881 he was living at 26 Calthorpe Street and employed 12 men and 3 boys. He was born in St Saviours York where he served an apprenticeship with his father (James) as a joiner, later he moved to London and worked for Ottewill. He remained there for only a year or two before setting up his own workshop. In 1867 he must have had financial problems and agreed payment terms with his creditors. He was survived by three daughters and a son James who worked for Dale before emigrating to America and becoming a noted photographer.

Hare cameras are of the highest quality and hand-made, the timber used is usually Spanish mahogany with the screw head slots aligned. Hare sold a range of cameras but is especially noted for the '1882' folding bed model and his tailboard camera of 1878. Typically the edges of the retaining strips holding the lens panel have a flat bevel to them. He probably supplied to the trade.

Hare is listed as the maker of the Ladies' Camera, a combined camera and darkroom, patented by W.A. Brice in 1876 (BP 1050/1876). He also made early examples of the Rowsell's Graphoscope for Rowsell.

Calthorpe St. at this time ran between Gray's Inn Rd and Phoenix Place, Lower Calthorpe ran between Phoenix Place and Farringdon Rd. Later the whole road was known as Calthorpe.

Wholesale chemists, in the 1890s they advertised the Cytox Hand camera under their own name.

Later as Dunn & Co.

William Heilbronn traded as a photographic paper manufacturer or supplier (probably an importer) at 433 Strand between 1863 and 1866, he is listed as bankrupt in 1867.

He is also listed as a photographer in partnership with Edward Schnadhorst under the name of Schnadhorst & Heilbronn, that partnership was dissolved in 1864.

In 1865 he was for a short time in partnership with John Henry Robert Pike trading as Pike & Heilbronn, photographers. Both of the studios were at 433 Strand.

Ernest Edwards was a photographer working from a studio in Baker Street London, in 1868 he was part of a group that bought the patent rights to Swan's carbon process which was the start of the Autotype company.

During the period 1868 to 1870 Edwards must have been developing the Heliotype photo-mechanical printing process.

The process did not prove popular in Britain probably due to competition from the Woodburytype and Collotype processes and the firm closed in 1877. Edwards moved to the US and worked the process there.

H.M. Wright later ran a printing company with B.J. Edwards in Fleet St.

Hepworth was trading from 22 Cecil Court until March 1898 when he closed his business and went to work for Maguire & Baucus. That arrangement could not have lasted long, by August 1899 he had established Hepworth & Co. and was making films at Walton-on-Thames. The partnership between Cecil Milton Hepworth and Henry Vassar Lawley trading as Hepworth & Co. was dissolved in 1904. Hepworth Manufacturing Co. Ltd. was registered with capital of £4,000 in 1904, the firm was wound up in 1919. C.M. Hepworth was the son of T.C. Hepworth. Hepwix was used as a trade name.

Manufactured the Colonel Stewart Panoram camera in 1894, also produced some camera finders and levels around the same time. Scientific instrument makers.

Adam Hilger came to Britain in 1870 and started work for John Browning at the Minories in London. In 1874 he and his brother Otto formed a partnership making scientific instruments especially spectroscopes. The partnership was cut short in 1897 when Adam died in an accident. From then the firm was run by Otto who died in 1902. Frank Twyman worked at the firm since 1898 and took over following Otto's death.

Adam Hilger Ltd. was incorporated as a limited company in 1904. In 1948 they merged with E R Watts to form Hilger & Watts. H & W became part of the Rank Organisation in 1968.

Hilger produced specialised cameras for scientific use and also the Hillman colour camera.

The partnership between Henry Hill and A.L. Adams, trading as Hill & Co., was dissolved at the end of 1892.

Hill worked with several retailers and manufacturers supplying technical and engineering expertise. In 1892 he formed a short partnership with Lindsay-Simpson (at this time Lindsay-Simpson was already associated with Adams) and later with Adams with whom he developed several patents. He later worked with E.G. Price from 1897, again developing patents. Henry Hill was possibly a distant relation to A.J.E. Hill (of Photo Ltd). A joint patent application was made in the names of Henry Hill, E.G. Price and Photo Ltd. Some Photo Ltd products, e.g. the Kalos shutter, were also sold under the Adams name.

Diagram showing the relationship between Hill and the Newman and Adams companies.

Camera maker, active in the late 1880s and 1890s.

Hinton describe themselves as pharmaceutical and photographic chemists. They produced a range of chemicals under their own brand name. In 1889 they advertised Newman's shutter and a little later a Thornton-Pickard or Kershaw shutter fitted with Newman's timing device, which would indicate that they had some manufacturing capability by that time. In 1892 they advertised a Half-Plate Hand & Stand Camera which looked more original than its name, in 1903 they advertised a bellows camera called the Rex and a panoramic camera, all of these were manufactured by themselves or, more likely, for them. In later years they specialised in accessories, darkroom lamps etc.

In 1901 Frederick Parsons the proprietor of the firm died and was succeeded in the business by his son F.T. Parsons.

Hockin were chemists who, in the wet-plate period, supplied photographic materials such as collodion, they also supplied equipment. The partnership between J.B. Hockin, Samuel King Wilson and Charles Hockin, trading as Hockin, Wilson & Hockin, was dissolved in 1866 when Charles H. retired.

Books by John Brent Hockin: How to obtain positive and negative pictures on collodionized glass, and copy the latter upon paper. A short sketch adapted for the Tyro in Photography, 1853. Practical Hints on the Photographic process on glass and paper, 1854. Practical Hints on Photography, its Chemistry and Manipulations, 1860.

Holden was a leading retailer of the 1950s advertising in the AP.

Established in 1884 according to advertisements. Merged into Houghtons Ltd in 1904. Patents were in the names of Leonard Holmes, Leonard Edwin Holmes and Herbert Holmes. Holmes Brothers were the manufacturers of the Sanderson.

Holmes Brothers advertised in the photographic press from around 1897, Len Holmes is also listed in the commercial section of street directories from around that time. Addresses associated with the firm are Barnsbury Rd. and Pultney St. which are the addresses of Len Holmes. Presumably the firm comprised Len Holmes and his two sons Leonard Edwin Holmes and Herbert. Previously the firm must have been manufacturing for the trade.

Alfred Henry Holmes and Francis Holmes, brothers of Len Holmes, are described in the 1891 census as photographic cabinet makers, Edward Holmes, another brother, is described as a cabinet maker all lived in the same area of Islington. Francis was part of the Holmes & Watson firm until 1895.

Advertised as manufacturers in the 1889 BJA. The partnership between Francis Holmes and William Watson was dissolved in August 1895, Watson carried on the business, as W. Watson & Co., until August 1896 when he was made bankrupt.

Francis Holmes was the brother of Len Holmes.

J. and A.G. Hopkins patented a plate changing arrangement (BP 3026/1884) which was sold by them to be fitted to an existing camera or as part of their Simplex camera. They describe themselves as makers of cameras and tripods. The camera was shown at RPS meetings.

J & A.G. Hopkins were also photographers with a studio in Hoddesdon.

Hora describe themselves as photographic chemists, from around 1898 they sold cameras under their brand name of Fairfield, these were either British made field cameras or German imports. The nature of the company changed following World War I.

George Francis Horne (b. 1861) was issued patents in the 1890s for a simple folding camera and a dark-slide, both of which were incorporated in Horne's Pocket Camera. In 1913 he was issued a patent for a folding magazine camera. Horne's early career was as a wood engraver, his involvement in camera manufacture or retailing started around 1896.

Early advertisements show that H,T & W are the successors to Edward Palmer who was trading from 103 Newgate St. until 1844. W.H. Thornthwaite worked for Palmer, an advertisement in the Athenaeum (21 Sep 1844) indicates that Horne and Wood also worked for or were suppliers to Palmer who was a retailer of scientific and photographic equipment (Talbot bought supplies from him). H,T & W's 1852 catalogue shows them to be selling Daguerreotype and calotype equipment. The company was still trading from 416 Strand in the 1900s.

The Wood in the company title is E.G. Wood who was later in business under his own name in the Cheapside area. Fallon Horne was another founder of the company. He exhibited at several photographic exhibitions and possibly trained as a chemist. W.H. Thornthwaite was an optician and a scientific instrument maker, his son W.H.E Thornthwaite also worked for the firm making scientific instruments including microscopes and telescopes.

It is difficult to make complete sense of the various company names and activities, it is known that Wood manufactured cameras, along with other scientific equipment, and also had a retail outlet under his own name. Oddly though, the early H,T & W catalogues mention equipment as being ' ... Horne & Co's improved ...'. Several scientific artefacts still exist labelled Horne & Co. including a Daguerreotype sensitising box in the Science Museum collection with the address of 121 Newgate Street. The firm might be better understood as loosely connected partnerships and individuals trading from a common building.

The census records indicate that the firm had a reasonably large manufacturing output, in 1851 and 1861 they (W.H. Thornthwaite) state that 26 and 25 men are employed, this probably includes a number working directly for E.G. Wood since he states, elsewhere, that he employs 15 men in 1851 and gives his address as 123 Newgate St. By 1871 the figure for H&T has dropped to 10.

1854 End of the first partnership

Fallon Horne's death is recorded in Thanet in 1858. He was a noted calotypist and member of the Photographic Society (later RPS).

1883/84

The ending of the Thornthwaite, Ackland and Barnes partnership ties in with a reference that Horne & Thornthwaite was bought by James Martin in 1884 to be managed by his son G.S. Martin. James Martin had an existing connection with H & T; William Ackland remained in charge of the spectacle department of the firm. Martin & Sallnow operated as photographers from 416 Strand from this time. E.G. Wood must have rejoined the firm in some way as the name reverts to H, T & W.

1893

1913

In 1851 William Russell Bland (Bland & Long) was working at Horne & Thornthwaite with E G Wood in Newgate street.

A carte de visite in the collection has the address of 213 Regent Street and 121 Newgate Street. Their catalogue offers instructions in photography when equipment is purchased at the purpose-built glasshouse at 121 Newgate.

Books by W.H. Thornthwaite: Photographic Manipulation: containing simple and practical details of the most improved processes of Photogenic Drawing, the Daguerreotype and the Calotype, 1843. Guide to Photography, 1845 (this book was published over several years with changes to the precise title).

Books by William Ackland: How to take Stereoscopic Pictures, including a detailed account of the necessary apparatus, and minute description of a modified collodio-albumen process, 1857. Hints on Fothergill's process, 1858.

Horton started a patent (26197) in 1897 for the Scroll shutter. The company was located in Cold Harbour, Hythe.

Houghtons grew out of the partnership of Antoine Claudet and George Houghton, trading in imported sheet glass and glass shades. In 1839 Claudet acquired a licence for the Daguerreotype process and, for a short time at least, the firm supplied Daguerreotype materials. When Claudet opened a photographic studio in 1841 Claudet & Houghton's involvement in the Daguerreotype probably ended. During the wet-plate period Houghtons was supplying glass plates, photograph mounts and other items including cameras, in the 1880s the firm supplied dry-plates under their own trade mark.

In 1889 a relatively new company, the Photographic Apparatus & Chemical Co., was acquired. From that time the firm expanded substantially especially in the supply of cameras. In 1894 the stock and goodwill of Amphlett Humphreys & Co. Ltd was acquired. In 1899 the sensitised paper side of the London & Blackfriars Photographic Supply Co., which must have been the old Spicer Brothers operation, was acquired. By the 1900s they were leading wholesalers carrying a complete range of photographic products.

George Houghton & Son Ltd was registered on the 1st January 1903 with capital of £100,000, 20% of the shares were offered to the public.

In 1904 Spratt Brothers, Joseph Levi & Co., Holmes Brothers and Ilex Camera Works joined George Houghton to form Houghtons Ltd. Houghtons Ltd was registered in March 1904 with a share capital of £175,000, the directors were: G. Houghton, M.L. Isaacs, E.W. Houghton, L.M. Isaacs, A.S. Spratt and H.J. Spratt. In 1915 the manufacturing companies in the group were separated to form, together with Butcher & Son, Houghton-Butcher Manufacturing Co.

The company merged with Butcher & Son in 1926 to form Houghton-Butcher (Great Britain) Ltd.

George Houghton the chairman of Houghtons and the son of the founder joined the company in 1852. Edgar W. Houghton (grandson of the founder) joined in 1887, he succeeded his father to become chairman in 1913, previously he was managing director. Charles E. Houghton (grandson of the founder) joined in 1890. A.S. Spratt who worked for the company died in 1908. A photograph of G. Houghton is contained in the Photographic Dealer for June 1902. A photograph of Edgar Houghton is contained in the AP of 1919.

In 1914 the staff employed at the depots numbered 200 and at the works 950.

The Alliance Roll Film Camera Co. Ltd, connected with Houghtons, was registered in 1902 with capital of £10,000 and wound up in 1904.

Brand names, sometimes taken from constituent companies, include: Klito (from J. Levi), Victo (G. Houghton), Holborn (G. Houghton) and Tudor (from Spratt Brothers works). The Ensign name as a trade mark was registered in 1902. The Sanderson camera was produced by Houghton and manufactured by Holmes Brothers.

Houghtons merged with Butcher & Son in 1926 to form Houghton-Butcher (Great Britain) Ltd, this was a sales organisation, manufacturing was carried out by the Houghton-Butcher Mfg Company. In September 1940 the Ensign premises in Holborn were bombed. In October 1940 the company was liquidated, the goodwill and stock was taken over by Johnsons of Hendon. Stanley Houghton and Fred Butcher, directors of Ensign, joined the board of Johnsons. Johnsons formed a company - Houghtons (Holborn) - to carry on the Ensign retail business with premises at 94 High Holborn, but this did not last for long. The BJA 1945 shows a photograph of the 94 & 95 High Holborn address and the 89 Holborn address.

British Photographic Industries (BPI), a holding company, acquired a controlling interest in Houghton, Butcher and other photographic companies in 1915.

Formed in January 1915 as the manufacturing company for Houghtons and Butcher & Son. The share capital was £70,000, the directors were E.W. Houghton, W.F. Butcher, F.W. Thompson, F.E. Butcher, I. Joseph, C.E. Houghton, G.A. Spratt and H.J. Spratt. In 1945 H-B Mfg merged with the sales division of Elliott to form Barnet Ensign.

Showroom for Ensign products after Johnsons of Hendon takeover.

Patented and manufactured magazine cameras, in the Pneu falling plate camera the release of the plate was connected to the shutter release. Also sold magic lantern equipment. Gave up photography in 1900 to concentrate on his motor car business. Felix William Hudlass.

After 1900 the photographic business was run by The Southport Photo Appliances Company at Phoenix Camera Works, Ivy Street, Southport.

Retailer, active throughout the 1890s, used the strapline New London Photographic Stores. A twin-lens camera called the Xela was advertised.

Hughes worked as an assistant to Mayall in London. Around 1850 he opened a studio in Glasgow and in 1855 took over the Strand premises of Mayall; the Glasgow studio was then run or owned by Werge. In 1862 Hughes moved to Ryde on the Isle of Wight and operated a studio there, the Oxford St. depot was managed by Werge.

Gustav Mullins was in partnership with Jabez Hughes from 1866 and sole proprietor of the Ryde studio on the death of Hughes in 1884 (the Hughes & Mullins name was retained). He was the son of Henry Mullins who worked as a photographer in Jersey and London.

The Ryde studio is described in The Photographic Studios of Europe.

Books by Jabez Hughes: The Principles and Practice of Photography familiarly explained. A manual for beginners, and reference book for expert photographers. Comprising the collodion process, 1860.

Books by Jabez Hughes and John Werge: How to Learn Photography, comprising a course of easy and familiar lessons on the collodion process, printing on plain and albuminised paper; how to produce life-size portraits. Dry-plate photography. A manual for beginners, 1860.

Opticians and later specialist lantern suppliers. By the 1930s they were supplying condensers and lighting apparatus for projectors.

Hughes started his career as a chemist, druggist and dentist, his father had run a chemist business in Hoxton Street for several years. Around 1880 he describes himself as an optician and shortly afterwards opened a business off the Kingsland Road specialising in optical goods especially lanterns and later cinematography.

Shown as a manufacturer of photographic apparatus and dealers in the early 1890s and before. Taken over by C.S. Baynton in 1894.

Elizabeth Ann Hulme moved the firm's premises from Ann Street to Dale End in 1877. Previously, William Hulme was trading from Ann street as a photographic dealer in 1858 and Thomas Hulme was trading from there in 1862 along with his wife, Elizabeth Ann Hulme. During this period, the various Hulmes had other occupations and interests. Samuel Hulme (b. 1857) took over the premises of Elizabeth Ann Hulme in Dale End in around 1885.