American Optical Flammang's Patent Revolving Back Camera, Front Focus Variation 1

American Optical Company
Scovill Mfg. Co., Proprietors

Flammang's Patent Revolving Back Camera Front Focus Variation 1.0

Dry Plate Making for Amateurs, Scovill Mfg. Co., 1886, ads p. 15

4¼ x 6½", single swing

Bottom

Top

Nickel-plated label on upper front standard: "American Optical Comp'y / Nre York / Scovill Mfg. Co., Prop't'rs"
Stamp on upper lens board: "Amer. Optical Co. / Scovill Mfg. Co., N.Y."
Note the brass screw slots have been carefully aligned (by trying screws in each position until all the slots align), then draw-filed along with the brass strips until flat.

Patent stamp on back of camera - the patent refers to the revolving back mechanism

Patent stamp on sides of the front platform: "Flammang's / Pat. Oct. 20, 1885" - the patent refers to the rod and pocket mechanism for keeping the platform rigid.

American Optical book-type plate holder

5x8, double swing

Nickel-plated label on front of camera

Patent stamp on back of camera - the patent refers to the revolving back mechanism

6½x8½, single swing

Top: Label, silver-colored metal (probably German silver or Ni-plated brass), top of front standard: "American Optical Comp'y - New York - Scovill M'fg. Co., Prop't'rs".
Bottom: Stamp, lens board (board has been cut down from a larger board).
Note the typical American Optical technique of aligning the screw slots (vertically on vertical hardware, horizontally on horizontal hardware), and then draw-filing the screws down to the level of the substrate that makes the screws almost disappear.

Stamp, assembly number "7" on the end of the front extension. Screw slots are aligned here also.

Stamp, on the revolving part of the back: "Flammang's - Pat. Aug.21.83 - No. 283,589" (the line with the number has been obscured by a part of the back glued on top of it).
Here, the screw slots are aligned along the circular direction of the brass guide. At the extreme bottom of the photo, two more slots aligned horizontally.

Stamp, on the left side of the hinged track: "Flammang's - Pat. Oct.10.1885", refers to the piston and tube mechanism that makes the track rigid with the main track. There is another such mechanism on the right side of the track; in which instance, the stamp is upside-down.
The tube part is installed with four screws - aligned, of course.

Manufacturer: American Optical Co. New York, NY factory
Date Introduced: - ; Years Manufactured: c.1884-1896
Construction: front focus via rack and pinion (single gear track on top of middle base rail); single or double swing; reversing by revolving back (the Flammang patent); three-piece lens board
Materials: mahogany body; mahogany base; black fabric bellows; brass hardware; French polish finish
Sizes Offered: 4x5; 4¼x5½; 5x7; 5x8; 6½x8½; 8x10
Notes:

Back focus and front focus revolving back cameras were advertised under the same name, i.e., Flammang's Revolving Back Camera, and shared one price list. I always have trouble remembering the name, because, strictly speaking, the name should be: i.e., Flammang's Rotating Back Camera, since revolution involves an external axis, whereas rotation involves an internal axis, as in: the earth revolves around the sun in one year, whereas the earth rotates in 24 hours.

American Optical's "revolving" back cameras were advertised as being able to use either SGC (Scovill's Glass Corners) plate-holders (for wet plates) or Daisy plate-holders (for dry plates). Each camera, being one of the higher priced models, came in an expensive, but light-weight canvas "bag", which is probably the term they used for the canvas-covered cardboard case of the era, or, it could have come as stated: - in a bag. Either way, the models rarely come in any type of container, which attests to the frailty of canvas containers of either type.

The revolving back of the camera usually has a stamp that reads: "Flammang's / Pat. Aug. 21, '83 / No. 283,589", not to be confused with a stamp on one or both sides of the camera platform that reads:: "Flammang's / Pat. Oct. 20, 1885 / (#328,664)", which refers to Flammang's other major patent, the rod and cylinder device for making a folding bed rigid. The camera models and variations below contain both Flammang patent features and commonly are appropriately stamped. Most of the other American Optical and Scovill cameras of the time had the rod & piston device and have been erroneously sold as "Flammang's Patent" cameras merely because they were stamped with its patent date.

By late 1896, the revolving back cameras were consigned to the "Bargain Page" of the American Annual of Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for 1897 (page lxi), which probably indicates an attempt to get rid of discontinued stock.

There are a number of variations listed on this web site. The back and front focus made cameras must obviously be separated here, as well as the following variations:

Flammang's Revolving-Back Camera Back Focus Variation 1.0: back focus revolving back camera having 1) push-pull focus with a lever in the rear to secure it, 2) forward-back swing hinged at the bottom of the rear standard (as shown in most engravings) and 3) lacquer-coated brass hardware.

Flammang's Revolving-Back Camera Back Focus Variation 2.0: back focus revolving back camera having 1) push-pull focus with a lever in the rear to secure it, 2) forward-back swing hinged in the middle of the rear standard, and 3) lacquer-coated brass hardware.

Flammang's Revolving-Back Camera Back Focus Variation 2.1: same as Variation 2 (push-pull focus, swing hinged in the middle), except having a device at the rear standard that, when pushed, allows horizontal swing. The example is also later than the Variation 2 examples, in that it was made when American Optical was owned by The Scovill & Adams Co. (after 1889)

Flammang's Revolving Back Camera Back Focus Variation 2.2: same as Variation 2 (push-pull focus, swing hinged in the middle), except having nickel-plated hardware.

Flammang's Revolving-Back Camera Back Focus Variation 3.0: back focus revolving back camera having 1) rack and pinion focus, 2) forward-back swing hinged in the middle, and 3) lacquer-coated brass hardware.

There is also a page featuring a Counterfeit Revolving Back Camera Back Focus Variation 3, a camera which superficially looks like Variation 2, but, in detail, can be seen to have not been made by the American Optical Co.

Flammang's Revolving-Back Camera Front Focus Variation 0.9: front focus revolving back camera having a square-shaped lens board not suitable for stereo photography. It has a thumbscrew at the lower rear used to make the folding platform and fixed platform rigid. This is assumed to have been made before Oct. 20, 1885, the date of the Flammang patent rod and pocket device.

Flammang's Revolving-Back Camera Front Focus Variation 1.0: front focus revolving back camera having a square-shaped lens board not suitable for stereo photography. This and following variations have the Flammang patent rod and pocket devices (one each side, usually) to make the platform rigid. It also has a brass device to prevent the ground glass or inserted plate holder from moving or falling out.

Flammang's Revolving-Back Camera Back Focus Variation 2.0: front focus revolving back camera having a wide, rectangular lens board suitable for stereo photography. This option was not shown in advertisements or even mentioned in catalogs.

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American Optical Company Scovill Mfg. Co., Proprietors

Flammang's Patent Revolving Back Camera Front Focus Variation 1.0

American Optical Company
Scovill Mfg. Co., Proprietors