American Optical Flammang's Patent Revolving Back Camera, Front Focus Variation 0.9

American Optical Company
Scovill Mfg. Co., Proprietors

Flammang's Patent Revolving Back Camera Front Focus Variation 0.9

Dry Plate Making for Amateurs, Scovill Mfg. Co., 1886, ads p. 15. Can't tell whether this is Variation 0.9 or 1.0.

6½x8½

Bottom

Top
On the far left, in lighter colored wood, is the part that holds the ground glass frame or plate holder. On later variations, there would be a brass device visible that prevents the ground glass frame or plate holder from falling out - it is not present in this variation.

Brass label on the upper front standard of the camera: "American Optical Comp'y / New York / Scovill Mfg. Co., Prop't'rs".
Note the alignment of the screw slots vertically (on the edge guards of the standardd) and horizontally (on the lens board retaining strip). They were placed that way be trial and error and a pile of screws, then a draw file technique was used to make the screw heads at exactly the same level as the brass strip. The screws have never been unscrewed throughout the life of the camera.

Patent stamp on back of camera: "Flammang's / Pat. Aug. 21, 88 / No. 283,589". This patent refers to the revolving back mechanism.
Note that, in this photo, the screw head slots are aligned to be parallel to the circumference of the brass circle.

The main reason that this variation is 0.9 and earlier than 1.0 is the mechanism below for making the folding platform rigid. This photo is taken from the bottm, before folding the platform down. A thumbscrew connects to an threaded hole to connect the folding platform firmly to the main platform. Note that some wood is missing on the left side, a common operator error when thumbscrew pockets are involved.

The photo below shows the now firmly held platforms from the rear. The thumbscrew was installed in such a way that the connection is tightest when it is exactly horizontal - probably another one of American Optical's refinements that is done by trial and error until it is just right.

American Optical Co. marked Book-Type Plate Holder

Stamp on the long side of one face of the plate holder: "Amer. Optical Co. / Scovill Mfg. Co. NY"

This camera has been used hard and had problems. How it can have so much damage and still retain its original, wavy ground glass is a wonder.
Shown below are two parts that have been repaired. The corner on the left has a poorly done reinforcement. On the right, the top of the rear standard has been cracked and crudely glued.

Another reinforcement at a corner of the rear standard.

When the camera was shipped to me, the front standard completely broke at the bottom. Fortunately, mahogany is rather brittle, and may be put back together fairly well. Below shows the repair made with hide glue (reversible if desired, and also the glue originally used for camera manufacture). The cracks can still be seen at this magnification, but barely.

Manufacturer: American Optical Co. New York, NY factory
Date Introduced: - ; Years Manufactured: c.1884-1896
Construction: front focus via rack and pinion (single gear track on top of middle base rail); single or double swing; reversing by revolving back (the Flammang patent); three-piece lens board
Materials: mahogany body; mahogany base; black fabric bellows; brass hardware; French polish finish
Sizes Offered: 4x5; 4¼x5½; 5x7; 5x8; 6½x8½; 8x10
Notes:

Back focus and front focus revolving back cameras were advertised under the same name, i.e., Flammang's Revolving Back Camera, and shared one price list. I always have trouble remembering the name, because, strictly speaking, the name should be: i.e., Flammang's Rotating Back Camera, since revolution involves an external axis, whereas rotation involves an internal axis, as in: the earth revolves around the sun in one year, whereas the earth rotates in 24 hours.

American Optical's "revolving" back cameras were advertised as being able to use either SGC (Scovill's Glass Corners) plate-holders (for wet plates) or Daisy plate-holders (for dry plates). Each camera, being one of the higher priced models, came in an expensive, but light-weight canvas "bag", which is probably the term they used for the canvas-covered cardboard case of the era, or, it could have come as stated: - in a bag. Either way, the models rarely come in any type of container, which attests to the frailty of canvas containers of either type.

The revolving back of the camera usually has a stamp that reads: "Flammang's / Pat. Aug. 21, '83 / No. 283,589", not to be confused with a stamp on one or both sides of the camera platform that reads:: "Flammang's / Pat. Oct. 20, 1885 / (#328,664)", which refers to Flammang's other major patent, the rod and cylinder device for making a folding bed rigid. The camera models and variations below contain both Flammang patent features and commonly are appropriately stamped. Most of the other American Optical and Scovill cameras of the time had the rod & piston device and have been erroneously sold as "Flammang's Patent" cameras merely because they were stamped with its patent date.

By late 1896, the revolving back cameras were consigned to the "Bargain Page" of the American Annual of Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for 1897 (page lxi), which probably indicates an attempt to get rid of discontinued stock.

There are a number of variations listed on this web site. The back and front focus made cameras must obviously be separated here, as well as the following variations:

Flammang's Revolving-Back Camera Back Focus Variation 1.0: back focus revolving back camera having 1) push-pull focus with a lever in the rear to secure it, 2) forward-back swing hinged at the bottom of the rear standard (as shown in most engravings) and 3) lacquer-coated brass hardware.

Flammang's Revolving-Back Camera Back Focus Variation 2.0: back focus revolving back camera having 1) push-pull focus with a lever in the rear to secure it, 2) forward-back swing hinged in the middle of the rear standard, and 3) lacquer-coated brass hardware.

Flammang's Revolving-Back Camera Back Focus Variation 2.1: same as Variation 2 (push-pull focus, swing hinged in the middle), except having a device at the rear standard that, when pushed, allows horizontal swing. The example is also later than the Variation 2 examples, in that it was made when American Optical was owned by The Scovill & Adams Co. (after 1889)

Flammang's Revolving Back Camera Back Focus Variation 2.2: same as Variation 2 (push-pull focus, swing hinged in the middle), except having nickel-plated hardware.

Flammang's Revolving-Back Camera Back Focus Variation 3.0: back focus revolving back camera having 1) rack and pinion focus, 2) forward-back swing hinged in the middle, and 3) lacquer-coated brass hardware.

There is also a page featuring a Counterfeit Revolving Back Camera Back Focus Variation 3, a camera which superficially looks like Variation 2, but, in detail, can be seen to have not been made by the American Optical Co.

Flammang's Revolving-Back Camera Front Focus Variation 0.9: front focus revolving back camera having a square-shaped lens board not suitable for stereo photography. It has a thumbscrew at the lower rear used to make the folding platform and fixed platform rigid. This is assumed to have been made before Oct. 20, 1885, the date of the Flammang patent rod and pocket device.

Flammang's Revolving-Back Camera Front Focus Variation 1.0: front focus revolving back camera having a square-shaped lens board not suitable for stereo photography. This and following variations have the Flammang patent rod and pocket devices (one each side, usually) to make the platform rigid. It also has a brass device to prevent the ground glass or inserted plate holder from moving or falling out.

Flammang's Revolving-Back Camera Back Focus Variation 2.0: front focus revolving back camera having a wide, rectangular lens board suitable for stereo photography. This option was not shown in advertisements or even mentioned in catalogs.

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American Optical Company Scovill Mfg. Co., Proprietors

Flammang's Patent Revolving Back Camera Front Focus Variation 0.9

American Optical Company
Scovill Mfg. Co., Proprietors