American Optical Co. Waterbury Type Camera

American Optical Co., Scovill Mfg. Co., props.

Leader Camera (Waterbury Type Camera)

4x5 (ground glass frame hinges on bottom)

Markings on the Flammang rod and piston device to make the bed rigid

Stamp at the rear of the base frame

Date Introduced: - ; Years Manufactured: c. 1896
Construction:
Materials:
Sizes Offered: 5x7; 5x8; 6�x8�, 8x10
Notes:

The Leader Camera are advertised on the American Annual of Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for 1896-1898 "Bargain Page" only, which says "First quality American Optical's Cameras" (but some are made by Scovill rather than American Optical). This "Bargain Page" seems to be the last reference for a number of models, which implies 1) that Scovill & Adams discontinued a number of models around 1896, and 2) that the "Bargain Page" was an outlet for the left-over stock of these discontinued models.

The non-bargain price of the Leader in 1896 is stated to be $24 for either 5x7 or 6�x8�. Compare this with the 1896 price of a Waterbury 5x8 ($16.50); the Elite View 6�x8� ($22), the Leader ($24), the Compact View 6�x8� ($25), the Centennial View 6�x8� ($36); the Star View 6�x8� ($36), the Flammang Revolving Back Camera 6�x8� ($40), the Irving 6�x8� ($40), and the Manifold Camera 6�x8� ($45). The Leader, therefore, may be assumed to be slightly more as complex and as finely finished as the Elite View, and slightly less complex and finely finished as the Compact View.

The Leader is not described in words nor is there an engraving in Scovill/American Optical catalogs. The comparison to the Elite View or Compact View is the best indication of what it may look like.

There is a camera very much like the Elite View, only being made of higher quality mahogany and more finely finished with the French polish technique. Examples are shown here. There seem to be many of these models extant, but it remains to find a description of the Leader to know for certain that that is its model name.

This model of camera appears to be an American Optical version of the popular and common Scovill Waterbury View. As is usual, the American Optical version is a superior quality camera, and is the major feature for identifying this as a Leader Camera, higher priced than the Waterbury and Elite. Specifically, it has 1) better quality mahogany than the Waterbury, 2) dark-colored French polish lacquer finish (on the body; the base is varnished), rather than the light-colored, single-coat varnish used on the Waterbury, 3) two rod and cylinder devices (usually) which are also more tightly made to make the bed rigid, rather than the one used on the Waterbury (but still only one used for 4x5), 4) larger bellows and body than the Waterbury for the same sized ground glass, 5) a different swing mechanism, and 6) a different ground glass hinge mechanism than the Waterbury. Below are comparison photos, the American Optical on the left and the Scovill Waterbury on the right. The third example above is stamped on its base "AMER. OPTICAL Co. SCOVILL MFG. CO. N.Y.", and stamped on its ground glass back and lensboard (same stamp) "SCOVILL MANUFACTURING Co. NEW YORK". There are two ground glass hinge types, as shown in the examples above.

References:
American Annual of Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for 1896, The Scovill & Adams Co. (New York, NY), 1895, ads p. 42 ("Bargain Page")
American Annual of Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for 1897, The Scovill & Adams Co. (New York, NY), 1896, ads p. 61 ("Bargain Page")
American Annual of Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for 1898, The Scovill & Adams Co. (New York, NY), 1897, ads p. 115 ("Bargain Page")

5x7 (ground glass frame hinges on bottom)

Front Stamp - on lensboard

Rear Stamp - on ground glass frame

Stamp for rod & tube device for keeping the bed rigid. This should not be confused with the Flammang Patent Revolving Back Camera, which has a different patent
Note that all the screw slots are aligned horizontally. This is achieved by trying screws at random until each one lines up, a lengthy process that illustrates the care with which this model is finished and assembled.