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 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.

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.

Camera and dark-slide manufacturer 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.

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.

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 isued for cardboard items.

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

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).

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 share holders. 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 agent 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 he 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 an the autumn of 1904.

In 1914 the directors were William F. Butcher (Managing Director), Frank E. Butcher, Isidor Joseph, Alec J. Jones, C. Garner, 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)'.

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.

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 were 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 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 was 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 premisses 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 suplier 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 is also advertising 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.