American Optical Co.

 

New Tourists' Photographic Amateur Outfit (#610-641)
Amateur Photographic Outfit (#610-635)

 

Illustrated Catalogue of General Photographic Supplies, Thos. H. McCollin (Philadelphia, PA), 1882, p. 31-32

 

Date Introduced: - ; Years Manufactured: c.1882 - c.1885
Construction: back focus; 0/1 swing; reversing ?; no or three-piece lens board; no gears
Materials: ebonized (painted white wood) or mahogany body; black rubber bellows; brass hardware
Sizes Offered: see below
Notes:

     McCollin's cameras are not identified in the catalog as being made by Scovill, as per the common practice of the day, but used a common Scovill engraving. American Optical/Scovill also used similar numbers for camera models, and these numbers are probably Scovill's designations rather than McCollin.

     The descriptions for cameras in this model series seem to be a mish-mash of dissimilar models and finishes - some folding, some rigid, some mahogany, some painted.  In this unusual aspect, the Scovill New Tourist Amateur appears to be identical to the descriptions for the American Optical Amateur Equipment (#1-8).  For photos of a camera that may be one of them, See the American Optical Amateur Equipment (#1-8) model.

     By 1885, this model may have been replaced by the similar Favorite. 

References:
Illustrated Catalogue of General Photographic Supplies, Thos. H. McCollin (Philadelphia, PA), 1882, p. 31-32 offers (as New Tourists' Photographic Amateur Outfit): #610=4x5 rigid bed; #612=5x8 rigid bed; #618=5x8 stereo or single rigid bed; #626=4x4 mahogany folding bed rising front; #627= 4x5 mahogany folding bed rising front; #631=4.25x6.5 ebonized; #641=5x8 stereo or single mahogany.
American Journal of Photography 1884-1885, (as Amateur Photographic Outfits) offers #'s 610, 612, 618, as above, but also: #625=4x5 mahogany rising front folding bed; #630=6.5x8.5 ebonized folding bed w/ focus screw; #633=8x10 ebonized folding bed w/ focus screw; and #635=5x8 mahogany stereo folding bed w/ extra lens board for single
not in the 1886 American Journal of Photography.
 

 

 

 

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