F. Putnam Co.
Marvel Variation 1 (Resale of the Scovill Mfg. Co. Favorite View)
Practical Instructions
for Amateurs,
1885, p. 2
4 x 5 vertical, Serial No. 587
5 x 8, Serial No. 639 (Lens Board is No. 599) Stamp, top part of lens
board: "Scovill Mfg. Co., N.Y.". Note the random direction that
the screws face - no alignment as in American Optical equipment (see
Flammang's Patent Revolving Back Camera, Front Focus) Stamps, rear end of
platform: A close-up of the Scovill
stamp having been over-stamped by the "Marvel" stamp. Serial numbers stamped on
the front of the camera: the front standard is "639" in two
locations; the lens board is "599" Stamps on the back of the
camera: the rear standard is "639" (the same as the front standard
above); the removable ground glass back is "599" (the same as the
lens board above) The plate holder, stamped
on the top (at about 1:30 o'clock): "Amer. Optical Co. - Scovill Mfg.
Co., N.Y.", and stamped at the end (at about 4:00 o'clock): "44". Manufacturer:
Scovill Mfg. Co., New Haven, CT factory The
Putnam Marvel is
not a particularly rare view camera, as examples abound. The term
"Marvel" appears to have been applied by the F. Putnam Co. to any of a
number of different types of cameras - some wooden field view cameras
and at least one leather-covered box camera. In other words,
apparently, anything sold by the Putnam company is a Marvel. The
wooden view camera Marvels were made by the Scovill
Mfg. Co., then apparently stamped by Putnam to be
resold. There are two variations of wooden field view cameras of
interest here: Most
wooden field view camera examples are the
Putnam Marvel Variation 1, which appears to be identical
to the
Scovill
Favorite model, yet usually stamped "F. Putnam New York" and
"Marvel". The Scovill Favorite is
a no-frills view camera, made using varnished basswood, sometimes called
white wood, and brass. Putnam ads and literature usually feature
an engraving that was used for the Scovill Favorite
in Scovill literature, but other engravings in Marvel
literature appear to have been appropriated from Scovill's
Ne Plus Ultra
and American Optical's
76
Models. A
5x8" example of Putnam
Marvel Variation 1, Serial No. 639, was originally stamped
during manufacture with
the usual "Scovill Mfg. Co." on the right rear of the base. This
stamp was then over-stamped with "Marvel", as if a
Scovill Favorite camera was
pulled from current completed stock to fill an order for a Putnam Marvel. Also, "F. Putnam New York" is stamped on
the left rear of the base. Another Scovill stamp appears on the
lens board. The wooden carrying case that is associated with No.
639 has typical Scovill construction (splines at
the corners)
No. 639 does not have the 1885 patent sliding devices to make the bed rigid,
but then, neither do non-Marvel Scovill
Favorites. Instead, they rely on a simple removable
thumbscrew. The
brass Waterbury lens on No. 639has insertable stops,
whereas most Scovill Favorites
seem to have the more common and handy
Waterbury lens with rotating stops. The ground
glass frame is loose, like non-Marvel
Scovill Favorites, rather than hinged, and is painted black.
The finish on this variation does not appear to be any worse than that
of non-Marvel Scovill Favorites,
unlike Variation 2, below. A second, rarer, type of wooden field
view camera bearing Marvel stamps appears to be identical to the
Waterbury View
Variation 1 model, except for its being unusually poorly
and sloppily finished with shellac. At least two examples of such
a model exist: the 5x8 size example shown on these pages (camera
serial no. 326), and another 5x8, camera serial no.
277 with lens board serial no. 303 was offered on eBay in July 2019.
Back to American Optical
Co. / Scovill Mfg. Co. (alphabetical)
Left side: "F. Putnam - New York" (one stamp having two lines)
Right side: first a stamp reading: "Scovill Mfg. Co., N.Y." (the same
stamp as used on the lens board, above), then, stamped over it, a stamp
reading: "Marvel".
Date Introduced: - ;Years Manufactured:
c.1880's
Construction: back focus
via push-pull; single swing;
non-reversing
Materials: white-wood body (possibly
cherry); cherry base; black rubber bellows; brass hardware,
varnish finish
Sizes Offered: 4x5, 5x8, 8x10 on special
order
Notes:
References:
The Photographic Times and American Photographer,
Vol. XIV, No. 171 (New Series No. 51), J. Trail Taylor, ed., Scovill
Mfg. Co., pub., NY, December 26, 1884, ads page 31
Descriptive Circular of Home Photography, Franklin Putnam, c.
1885.
Practical Instructions for Amateurs, revised by Franklin Putnam, c.
1885
