Scovill Mfg. Co., Waterbury, CT & New Haven, CT
ABC Outfit
The American
Scholar's
Complete
Equipment
The Scovill & Adams Co. catalog,
January 1889, p. 16
Scovill & Adams Catalog, 1892, p.
2
Manufacturer:
Scovill Mfg. Co., New Haven, CT factory
Date Introduced: - ; Years Manufactured:
c. 1889-1893
Construction: no focus; no swing;
non-reversing; no lens board
Materials:
Sizes Offered: ABC:
3¼x4⅞; American
Scholar's: #1=4¼x5½; #2=3¼x4¼
Notes:
In catalog engravings, the ABC Outfit camera appears to be identical to one shown for the Scholar's Equipment, except for the odd plate size and the lack of a box to put all the chemicals, etc. into. As the name implies, it was a student camera; was a rigid tapered box instead of a bellows camera.
The engraving appears to show a bottom block of wood on top of which is a bag bellows held in its extended state by a pair of wire frames on either side. The back appears to be painted black and is removable. Rather than a case with a handle, the entire outfit is shown with a shipping box.
In the 1888 Scovill-Codman catalog and in the 1891 Scovill-Horgan, Robey catalog, the ABC Outfit was advertised on a facing page to the American Scholar; both had engravings showing the same camera - apparently the No. 1 ABC was the No. 2 Scholar (3¼x4¼) with slightly different accessories. Introduced: not in the April 1887 catalog, but in the Sep. 1888 catalog.
References:
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
C.H. Codman & Co. (Boston, MA),
September 1888, p. 16-17
How to Make
Photographs and Descriptive Price List, Scovill Mfg. Co. (New York, NY),
November 1888, pp. 16-17
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
The Scovill & Adams Co. (New York, NY), January 1889, p. 16-17
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
The
Scovill & Adams Co.
(New York, NY), 1890, p. 18
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
The Scovill & Adams
Co. (New York, NY), distributed by Oscar Foss (San Francisco, CA), June
1890, p. 17
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
The Scovill & Adams
Co. (New York, NY), January
1891, p. 17
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
The Scovill & Adams
Co. (New York, NY), distributed by Sargent & Co. (Cleveland, OH), April
1891, p. 2
American Annual of Photography & Photographic
Times for 1893, The Scovill & Adams Co. (New York, NY), 1892,
ads p. 94
The American Annual of Photography and
Photographic Times Almanac for 1894,
The Scovill & Adams Co. (New York, NY), 1893,
p. 91
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