Scovill Mfg. Co., Waterbury, CT & New Haven, CT
The Manifold Camera
Scovill
Dry Plate Making for
Amateurs, 1886, p.
16
8 x 10
(6.5 x 8.5 back) Manufacturer:
American Optical Co. New York, NY factory The photographed camera probably started as an
8x10, but currently has a 6½x8½ Rochester Optical Co. back cobbled-on
(c.1910, as found on the
Rochester
View Variation 4). The camera differs from the engraving
in that it originally had a Flammang patent revolving back, and the rear
standard focuses via the usual flip switch rather than top-mounted rods. References:
Back to American Optical
Co. / Scovill Mfg. Co. (alphabetical) 
Date Introduced: - ; Years Manufactured:
c.1885 -
c.1896
Construction: front focus
via rack and pinion (single gear track on middle base
rail) and rear focus via push-pull; single or
no swing; reversing by removable back
Materials: mahogany body; cherry base;
black fabric bellows; brass hardware
Sizes Offered: 3¼x4¼;4x5; 4¼x5½; 5x7;
6½x8½; 8x10
Notes:
This is a long bellows camera which has
removable extensions front and back in addition to a folding joint in
the middle of the base; the front or back would be removed for shorter
focal length lenses. The camera came with one Daisy plate-holder
and canvas case. The use of both a front geared
focus and a rear push/pull focus in this era is similar to the Gennert
Brighton
and the
Sunart Vici (Smith Magic). Later, geared focus
front and rear became the norm.
Scovill's Photo. Series No. 1, The Photographic
Amateur, 2nd Edition, J. Traill Taylor,
Scovill Mfg. Co. pub. (New York, NY), 1883,
2nd Ed. about 1885, p. a16
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
Scovill Mfg. Co. (New York, NY), distributed by
Andrew J. Smith (Providence, RI),
1886, p. 40
Scovill's Photo. Series No. 17 - First Lessons in Amateur Photography,
Randall Spaulding, Scovill Mfg. Co. pub. (New York, NY), copyright 1886,
p.a16
Scovill's Photo. Series No. 12,
Photographic Chemistry, Scovill Mfg. Co.
(New York, NY), 1886, p. a24
Scovill's Photo. Series No. 20, Dry
Plate Making for Amateurs, Scovill Mfg. Co. (New
York, NY), 1886, p. a16
Catalog P, Photographic Material, J. W.
Queen & Co. (Philadelphia, PA), 1886, pp.
53-54
How to Make Pictures, 4th edition, Henry Clay Price, Scovill Mfg.
Co., publishers (New York, NY), dated 1887, copyright 1886, p.a14
Photographic Lenses and How to Select Them, James W. Queen & Co.
(Philadelphia, PA), 1887, p. 27
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
Scovill Mfg. Co. (New York, NY), distributed by
C.H. Codman & Co. (Boston, MA), April 1887, p.
38
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
Scovill Mfg. Co. (New York, NY),
undated but about January 1888, p 41
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
Scovill Mfg. Co. (New York, NY), May 1888, p. 30
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List, Scovill Mfg.
Co., distributed by John Wanamaker (Philadelphia, PA), June 1888, p. 30
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
Scovill Mfg. Co. (New York, NY), distributed by C.H.
Codman & Co. (Boston, MA), September
1888, p. 30
How to Make
Photographs and Descriptive Price List, Scovill Mfg. Co. (New York,
NY), November 1888, p. 30
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
Scovill Mfg. Co. (New York, NY), distributed by Buchanan, Bromley
& Co. (Philadelphia, PA) Catalog, 1888
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
The Scovill & Adams Co.
(New York, NY), January 1889, p. 29
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
The Scovill & Adams Co. (New York, NY), distributed by Buchanan,
Bromley & Co. (Philadelphia, PA) Catalog, 1889
Photographic Materials 1889, James
W. Queen & Co. (Philadelphia, PA), 1889, pp. 55-56
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List, The
Scovill & Adams
Co. (New York, NY), 1890, p. 31
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. 31
Photographic Material,
Catalogue O & P, James W. Queen & Co. (Philadelphia,
PA), 1891, pp. 41-42
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
The Scovill & Adams
Co. (New York, NY), January
1891, p. 32
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
The Scovill & Adams
Co. (New York, NY), distributed by Sargent & Co. (Cleveland, OH), April
1891, p. 23
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
The Scovill & Adams
Co. (New York, NY), distributed by Horgan, Robey & Co. (Boston, MA),
June 1891, p. 23
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
The Scovill & Adams Co.
(New York, NY), January 1892, p.
23
How to Make Photographs and Descriptive Price List,
The Scovill & Adams
Co. (New York, NY), abt. June 1892, p. 23
Catalogue of Photographic Goods and All
Articles Pertaining to Photography, The Scovill & Adams Co. (New
York, NY), undated c.1895, p.13
How to Make Photographs and a Descriptive
Catalogue of Photographic Materials Illustrated,
The Scovill & Adams Co.
(New York, NY), 1896, p.
37
