Scovill Mfg. Co.
 The Scovill & Adams Co.

 

Acme Reversible Back View Camera Variation 1
New Reversible Back Acme View Box
Reversible Back View Camera
Back Focus Cone View Camera
 

Acme View Camera (W. D. Gatchel Catalog, 1888, p. 32)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scovill Mfg. Co. 8 x 10", single swing, No Label, Serial No. 50.
This camera is labeled "Scovill Mfg. Co. N.Y.", and therefore had to have been made prior to the Scovill & Adams Co. in 1889.  It was probably made in Scovill factory in New Haven, CT, despite having all the hallmarks of an American Optical product - fine French polish finish for the wood, draw file finish for the hardware, and screw slots aligned.
While the lens board appears to be original and the one purchased with the camera, the round attachment bearing the lens is not - it is a patch, filling a hole (probably for a different lens) that was too large for this Waterbury lens.
Additionally, the case that fits this camera so well is an E. & H.T. Anthony & Co. product.

The bottom of the camera shows a fabric cover on the rear extension, installed by the nineteenth century owner to create something like the wooden covers found on some early back-focus cameras, for example, the 11x14 Acme Variation 1 shown below.

Stamp, rear of platform: "Scovill Mfg. Co., N.Y."  This stamp (on Camera No. 50) is the exact same stamp used on the 11x14" Camera No. 218, shown below.

Two stamps of the serial number "50": on the front surface of the rising piece on the front standard, and on the top surface of the platform under the front standard.
Note that the screws in the brass guides/wear guards are aligned vertically.

Two more stamps of the serial number "50": one on the bottom of the vertically swinging part of the rear standard (top), and one on the horizontally swing part of the rear standard (bottom).  The lever between the serial numbers locks the focus of the camera.  The round ball just below the serial numbers is attached to a lever that locks the horizontal swing.

Stamp on the top of the lens board: "Scovill Mfg. Co., N.Y.  While lens boards on view cameras are not always original equipment, this on bears the exact same stamp as the rear of the platform (photo above), and so undoubtedly is the lens board that was purchased along with the camera.
As usual for American Optical products, the screw slots of the horizontal brass bar under which the lens board sits are aligned horizontally, and the screw slots of the vertical brass guides/wear guards are aligned vertically.

 

 

 

 

 

Scovill Mfg. Co. 8 x 10", Scovill Label instead of American Optical Serial No. 185
Incredibly, this camera, like the one above, has also had a huge hole made in its lens board.  This time, I had to make the patch.
This one was also missing its back as well as the shelf on which the back rests.  The original back would be identical to all the others on this web page.

This camera was missing its normal ~2" thick spring back as well as the shelf on which the back rests.
  Impossible to recreate something like the original, I have constructed a simple ground glass frame and shelf, just to make the camera look more like a camera, and to see the view through the nice Somerville wide angle rapid rectilinear lens.

Bottom

Top

Label, probably nickel-plated brass: "Scovill Manufacturing Co., / New York".  These are fairly rare on Acme cameras.
This label is identical to one found on a Scovill Albion Camera Variation 1.

Stamp, rear of folding part of platform: "Scovill Mfg. Co., N.Y."

Stamp, upper part of lens board: "Scovill Mfg. Co., N.Y."
This is the same message, but a different (smaller and squatter font style) stamp than the one used on the rear of the platform, above.
Because the lens board was apparently original to the camera, but had a huge (~5" diameter) hole in it, the hole was patched so that an appropriate lens could be installed without using a replacement lens board.

Stamp, Serial No. 185, rear deck of movable platform.  As usual, the numbers are punched separately.

Two more stamps of Serial No. 185, on the lower rising part of the front standard, and on the top surface of the front nose of the fixed platform.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scovill Mfg. Co. 11 x 14", single swing, No Label, Serial No. 218. 

Two stamps on rear base: "Scovill Mfg. Co., N.Y." (one stamp)  and the serial number "218" (three stamps - the numbers stamped separately).  The "218" is stamped in three additional places on the camera: 1) the front surface of the bottom of the rising piece of the front standard, 2) the top surface of the main platform right at the front of the camera, and 3) the top surface of the moving platform of the rear standard.
This stamp (on Camera No. 218) is the exact same stamp used on the 8x10" Camera No. 50, shown above.

 

 

 

 

 

Scovill & Adams Co. 6½ x 8½", double swing version, Serial (or Assembly) No. 3.
 a camera made 1889-1900, since it is labeled "The Scovill & Adams Co. - New York".
Note that it is not labeled as American Optical, even though the camera bears all the hallmarks of an American Optical product - fine French polish finish for the wood, draw file finish for the hardware, and screw slots aligned.

Label, silver-colored metal (probably German silver): "The Scovill & Adams Co. - New York".  Note the vertical alignment of the screw slots in the lens board retaining strip, and the vertical alignment of screw slots in the two edge brass guides/edge protectors.  The alignment is the result of the camera maker randomly choosing screws for each instance until the slots align.  Also, the screws are initially left slightly above the level of their brass substrate, then are filed down even with the surface during the draw file process, resulting in the edge of the screw head being almost invisible, blending in so well with the brass surface.

Stamp, probably the camera's assembly number "3" hidden under the removable camera back, on the top surface of the movable rear standard platform/base.  An assembly number assists the camera maker to produce more than one camera at a time without mixing up parts that, while very close in size to similar parts, do not precisely fit any other camera than the one for which it was made.

 

 

 

14 x 17" Scovill & Adams Co. and Scovill Mfg. Co. markings

Bottom

Top

Celluloid Label: "The Scovill & Adams Co. / New York" on top of the front standard.

 Two stamps on rear base: "Scovill Mfg. Co., N.Y." (one stamp)  and the serial number "501" (three stamps - the numbers stamped separately)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manufacturer: Scovill Mfg. Co., , probably produced in the New Haven Factory, former Samuel Peck & Co. factory
Date Introduced: - ; Years Manufactured: c.1884 - c.1895
Construction: back focus via push-pull; single or double swing; reversing by removable back; French polish finish
Materials: mahogany body; cherry base; black rubber bellows; brass hardware
Sizes Offered: 4¼x5½; 6½x8½; 8x10; 10x12; 11x14; 14x17; 17x20; 20x24
Notes: 

          Scovill / American Optical made a number of of cone or tapered bellows cameras.  The following is an excerpt from American Optical/Scovill Back Focus Tapering Bellows Field View Cameras - Chronology and Design detailing the history of Scovill/American Optical camera models of this basic type.

Acme Reversible Back View Box / Back Focus Cone View Camera Model Variations:   

     The Acme View Camera can be found in catalogs and advertising approximately from 1884 through 1895, although there was a similar Scovill tapered bellows view camera during the wet plate era (see American Optical New Camera Box).   Depending on the catalog and the year, the Acme was referred to as one of at least three names: Acme View Camera, Back Focus Cone View Camera, or Reversible Back View Camera.  Despite its workmanlike design, it was highly finished, showing French polish on the wood, draw file finish on the hardware, and screw slots that were laboriously aligned along the length of each brass part then filed down perfectly even with the part.

      During the Scovill Mfg. Co. era (<1889), sometimes this model's labels read: "American Optical Co., - Scovill Mfg. Co., N.Y. Prop't'rs" but sometimes they read simply "Scovill Mfg. Co., N.Y.".  During the Scovill & Adams Co. era (1889-1901), the labels merely read: "The Scovill & Adams Co. - New York".  Despite the relatively consistent high quality construction and appearance, it is probable that the ones labeled American Optical were manufactured in the New York City factory of American Optical, and those labeled Scovill or Scovill and Adams were manufactured in the New Haven, CT factory formerly the Samuel Peck & Co. factory. 

     So far, four variations have been seen: 

Acme Reversible Back View Camera Variation 1.0:  This is the camera as shown in the advertising, including a ~2" thick removable, reversible back.  To take a photograph, the back's ground glass frame is slid out and replaced by the plate holder.  All examples are marked Scovill or Scovill & Adams, and therefore thought to have been made in Scovill's New Haven, CT factory, formerly the Samuel Peck & Co. factory.

Acme Reversible Back View Camera Variation 1.5:  This variation, being represented by only one example so far, is identical to Variation 1.0 except that it has rack and pinion focus rather than push-pull focus.

Acme Reversible Back View Camera Variation 2.0:  This variation also has a removable, reversible back, but it also has an interior ground glass frame that is released via a lever.  The plate holder would then be inserted into the hole vacated by the ground glass frame.  This variation is assumed to be c.1885, since this same back is pictured in 1885 advertising for the American Optical Ripley Camera.  It may, therefore, be the first variation of the Acme chronologically.  But why then would the advertising engraving show the Variation 1.0, above.  I believe that Variation 2.0 was a very short lived, expensive to produce version of the Acme, the Variation 1.0 being the original version made before Variation 2.0, but also made after Variation 2.0 well into the Scovill & Adams era.

Acme Reversible Back View Camera Variation 3.0:  This variation has yet a third variation of removable, reversible back, which, in this case, has spring back that, unlike the other variations, does not have to be removed to insert a plate holder - a very handy improvement.  It has a complex set of four springs that can be set open, allowing the plate holder to be easily slid under it, then released to tightly hold the plate holder in place.  This type of back is also seen in other high end American Optical cameras of the Scovill & Adams Co. era, such as the Compact View Variation 1.0, the Compact View / Irving View Variation 2.0, the Elm City View, the Irving View Variation 1.0, the Irving View Variation 1.2, and the Star View Camera.

 

References:
Descriptive Catalogue and Price List of the Photographic Apparatus Manufactured by the American Optical Co., Scovill Mfg. Co., proprietors and managers (New York, NY), Sept. 1884, p.52 (as the Scovill Reversible Back Camera)
Catalog P, Photographic Material, J. W. Queen & Co. (Philadelphia, PA), 1886, p. 72 (as the Reversible Back Cone View Camera)
Scovill Manf'g Co. Catalogue Photographic Goods, June, 1887, David Tucker & Co. (Buffalo, NY), June, 1887, p.18 (as the American Optical Suberb Reversible Back Cone View Camera)
Scovill Manf'g Co. Catalogue Photographic Goods, June, 1887, David Tucker & Co. (Buffalo, NY), June, 1887, p.44 (as the Scovill Acme Reversible Back View Camera)
Catalogue Illustrated, W.D. Gatchel (Louisville, KY), 1888, p. 32 (as New Reversible Back Acme View Box)
Catalogue of Photographic Goods and All Articles Pertaining to Photography, The Scovill & Adams Co. (New York, NY), undated c.1895, p.14 (as the Scovill Acme Reversible Back Camera)

 

 

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