Chicago Supply House Catalogs
Though often not themselves manufacturers, the photographic supply houses of Chicago would seem to have produced a great number of catalogs 1900-1930s. The 1901 report of factory inspections shows the number of employees for firms in Illinois.
For each catalog, two facing pages are shown per image. Catalogs are marked as (complete), meaning all pages were scanned or (the pages scanned). Each image is about 1mb, so downloads can take considerable time for complete catalogs.
From the above, we find that Burke & James has 54 total
employees, Eastern Camera Mfg Co has 3, Jas. H. Smith has 15, and Sweet, Wallach
& Co. has 24. Montgomery Ward & Co. appears elsewhere, but there is no way
to tease out the number of employees involved in the photography department.
Cash Buyers Union and Chicago Photo Materials Co. do not appear, presumably
having been founded later than 1901.
1896
Catalogue of Photographic Apparatus, Catalogue "G",
Montgomery Ward & Co. (Chicago, IL), dated 1896, ~6"x9", 84pp
1897
Catalogue of Photographic Apparatus, Catalogue "G",
Montgomery Ward & Co. (Chicago, IL), dated 1897, ~5¾"x8¾", 84pp
1898
Illustrated Catalogue of Cameras and Graphophones,
Otto Young & Co. (Chicago, IL), dated 1898, ~7¾"x10½", 33pp
c.1898
Cyclone Cameras,
Western Camera Manufacturing Co. (Chicago, IL), undated c. 1898, ~4"x5",
32pp
1899
Catalogue of Photographic Sundries,
Jas. H. Smith & Co. (Chicago, IL), dated 1899, ~6¼"x8½",
176pp
1901
Catalogue of Photographic Sundries,
Jas. H. Smith & Co. (Chicago, IL), dated 1 July 1901, ~5¾"x8",
210pp (no covers)
1901
Cameras and Everything Required
for Photography,
Sweet Wallach & Co. (Chicago, IL), dated 1901, ~6½"x10",
48
1901
Kodaks, Cameras, Photographic Supplies,
N. Watry & Co. (Chicago, IL), dated May 1901 to May 1902, ~6"x9",
84pp
c.1901
Tri-fold Flyer,
Eastern Camera Mfg. Co. (Chicago, IL), undated c. 1901, ~5½"x8¼",
6pp
1903
Cameras and Camera Supplies Catalogue 11M 1903 Season,
Cash Buyers Union (Chicago, IL), dated 1903, ~8½"x11",
16pp
1903
Catalogue Photographic,
Chicago Photo Materials Co. (Chicago, IL), dated 1903, ~6"x9",
96pp
1904
Catalogue No. 7 of Cameras, Photographic Apparatus and Supplies,
Burke & James (Chicago, IL), dated 1904, ~6"x9", 216pp
c.1905
Special Catalogue of Photographic Apparatus, Accessories and Materials,
Montgomery Ward & Co. (Chicago, IL, NY), undated c. 1905, ~6¾"x9½",
140pp
1906
Catalogue No. 10 of Cameras, Photographic Apparatus and Supplies,
Burke & James (Chicago, IL), dated 1906-1907, ~6"x9", 256pp
1908
Catalogue No. 11 of Cameras, Photographic Apparatus and Supplies,
Burke & James (Chicago, IL), dated 1908-1909, ~6"x9", 280pp
1908
Illustrated Catalogue of
Photographic Outfits and Supplies,
Sweet, Wallach & Co. (Chicago, IL), dated 1908, ~7½"x10½",
128pp
c.1908
Complete Catalog of Cameras,
Apparatus and Accessories for the Amateur Photographer, Catalog A,
Sweet, Wallach & Co. (Chicago, IL), undated c. 19081, ~4¼"x10¼",
128pp
1909
Bromide Printing - A Guide to the Use of Developing Papers,
Rev. F. C. Lambert, M.A. (London, England), sold by Burke & James, Inc.
(Chicago, IL), second edition dated 1909, ~4¾"x7", 72pp & 20pp ads (complete)
c.1910
Rexo "Every Click a Picture",
Burke & James, Inc. (Chicago, IL), undated c. 1910, ~3½"x6½", 40pp
(complete)
c.1910
Photographic Apparatus and Supplies Catalog Number 35, Sweet,
Wallach & Co. (Chicago, IL), undated c.1910, ~7½"x10½", 128pp
1911
Catalogue No. 12 of Cameras, Photographic Supplies and Apparatus,
Burke & James, Inc. (Chicago, IL), dated 1911-1912, ~6"x9", 320pp
c.1913
Cameras & Photographic Apparatus Catalog No. 13,
Burke & James (Chicago, IL), undated c. 1913, ~6"x9", 304pp
c.1915
Cameras, Photographic Apparatus and Supplies, General Catalog No. 15,
Burke & James (Chicago, IL), undated c. 1915, ~6"x9", 160pp
c.1915
The Camera Book,
Burke & James Inc. (Chicago, IL), undated c. 1915, ~6"x9", 40pp
c.1918
Kodaks, Cameras, Supplies and Other Standard Merchandise, Catalog No. 102,
David Stern Co. (Chicago, IL),
undated c. 1918, ~6½"x10",
96pp
1919
A Thousand-and-One Camera Bargains, Catalog
1919-20,
Bass Camera Co. (Chicago, IL), dated 1919, ~6"x9", 640pp &
4 un-numbered pages at centerfold
1919
Catalogue of Cameras, Kodaks, Lenses and Photographic Accessories
1919-1920,
Central Camera Co. (Chicago, IL), dated 1919, ~5¾"x8½", 120pp &
Bargains a-h
1920
Catalogue No. 10 and Bargain Book No. 11 of Cameras, Kodaks, Lenses and Photographic Accessories
1920-1921,
Central Camera Kodak Co. (Chicago, IL), dated 1920, ~5¾"x8¾", 118pp &
Bargain Book a-j
1925
Catalogue No. 27 of Cameras, Kodaks, Lenses and Photographic Accessories
1925-1926,
Central Camera Kodak Co. (Chicago, IL), dated 1925, ~5¾"x8½", 256pp
1926
Catalogue No. 31 of Cameras, Kodaks, Lenses and Photographic Accessories
1926-1927,
Central Camera Kodak Co. (Chicago, IL), dated 1926, ~5½"x8½", 288pp
c.1926
Catalog of Cameras, Photographic Apparatus and Supplies, Catalog No. 121,
Central Chicago Photo Supply House (Chicago, IL), undated c. 1926, ~10"x8¼",
72pp
1931
Photographic Supplies, Catalog No. 250,
Burke & James, Inc. (Chicago, IL), dated 1931, ~10"x8", 137pp
c.1931
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Brody One-Minute Ferrotype Cameras, Catalog No. 26,
M. K. Brody (Chicago, IL), undated c. 1931, ~6"x9", 12pp (complete)
1932
Catalogue No. 42 of Cameras, Kodaks, Lenses and Photographic Accessories
1932-1933,
Central Camera Kodak Co. (Chicago, IL), dated 1932, ~5½"x8¼", 284pp
c.1934
Bargain Catalog No. 75,
Central Camera Co. (Chicago, IL), undated c. 1934, ~5½"x8¼", 130pp
c.1935
Catalog,
Central Camera Co. (Chicago, IL), undated c. 1935, ~5"x7¾", 131pp
1936
Central's Photographic Almanac for 1936,
Central Camera Co. (Chicago, IL), dated 1936, ~5"x7¾", 131pp
1940
Better Pictures with Watson Portrait and View Cameras,
Burke & James, Inc. (Chicago, IL), dated 1940, ~6"x9", 48pp
(complete)
c.1943
Central Camera Co.,
Central Camera Co. (Chicago, IL), undated c. 1943, ~6"x9", 64pp
