American Optical Co., Scovill Mfg. Co., Props. (New York, NY)

 

The Scovill Detective Camera 1st Model - c.1885 - c.1888

 

The Photographic Amateur, J. Traill Taylor, Scovill Mfg. Co., publisher, 2nd ed., ads p.20 (1885, 1st ed. was 1883) 
1220.Scovill.Detective.Camera.Cat-scovillphotoamateur1883-1885lp911-ads.p.20-1500.jpg

 

Overall

1220.american.optical.detective.camera-4x5-a-2000.jpg

 

Exterior

1220.american.optical.detective.camera-exterior-4x5-a-1500.jpg1220.american.optical.detective.camera-exterior-4x5-b-750.jpg1220.american.optical.detective.camera-exterior-4x5-c-750.jpg1220.american.optical.detective.camera-exterior-4x5-d-750.jpg1220.american.optical.detective.camera-exterior-4x5-e-750.jpg

Top
1220.american.optical.detective.camera-exterior-4x5-top-1500.jpg

Bottom1220.american.optical.detective.camera-exterior-4x5-bottom-1500.jpg

 

Interior

1220.american.optical.detective.camera-interior-4x5-a-1500.jpg
1220.american.optical.detective.camera-interior-4x5-b-750.jpg1220.american.optical.detective.camera-interior-4x5-c-750.jpg
1220.american.optical.detective.camera-interior-4x5-d-750.jpg1220.american.optical.detective.camera-interior-4x5-e-750.jpg

Top
1220.american.optical.detective.camera-interior-4x5-top-750.jpg

Bottom
1220.american.optical.detective.camera-interior-4x5-bottom-1500.jpg




Notes:Notes:

     The top cover of the case is inscribed in pencil:  "Harris Fahnestock, 457 Madison Ave., New York" and "No. 519 Beck Lens".  Harris C. Fahnestock (1835-1914) was an advisor to Abraham Lincoln and the co-founder of the First National Bank of New York, predecessor of Citibank (Wikipedia).

     The Scovill Detective Camera was one of the first detective cameras made in the U.S.A.  It has been claimed to have first been manufactured in 1883, but that is probably due to a mis-statement of the published date of 1883 for the reference below.  The first edition was published in 1883, but the camera only appears in the 2nd edition, which was published in 1885.

 

References:
Scovill's Photo. Series No. 1 - Photographic Amateur, J. Traill Taylor, Scovill Mfg. Co., publisher, 2nd ed., ads p.20 (1885, 1st ed. was 1883) 
Scovill's Photo. Series No. 17 - First Lessons in Amateur Photography, Randall Spaulding, Scovill Mfg. Co. pub. (New York, NY), copyright 1886, p.a20
Photographic Materials 1886, James W. Queen & Co. (Philadelphia, PA), 1886, pp. 66-67 (as the Peerless Detective Camera)
Scovill Manf'g Co. Catalogue Photographic Goods, June, 1887, David Tucker & Co. (Buffalo, NY), June, 1887, p.179
An Illustrated Catalogue of Photographic Cameras, Lenses and Other Apparatus and Materials for Photography, W.H. Walmsley & Co. (Philadelphia, PA), April 1, 1888, p. 17
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List, Scovill Mfg. Co. (New York, NY), May 1888, p. 33
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List, Scovill Mfg. Co., distributed by John Wanamaker (Philadelphia, PA), June 1888, p. 33
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List, Scovill Mfg. Co. (New York, NY), November 1888, pp. 33-34
Photographic Materials 1889
, James W. Queen & Co. (Philadelphia, PA), 1889, pp. 66-67 (as the Peerless Detective Camera)

How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List, The Scovill & Adams Co. (New York, NY), 1890, p. 35


 

 

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