J. Lancaster & Son

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
J. Lancaster & Son
Industry Photography
Fate Dissolved
Founded 1835 (1835)
Defunct 1955 (1955)
Headquarters Birmingham, England
Owner James Lancaster

J. Lancaster & Son was a photographic company, formed in Birmingham, England, in 1835 when James Lancaster started an optical firm for the manufacture of glasses, microscopes, and telescopes.[1][2][3][4][5]

File:Lancaster View Camera.jpg
Lancaster View Camera from around 1898.

The company was an optician and camera maker, based in Irving Street, Birmingham. It was one of the world's major camera makers in 1898.[citation needed] It made wooden view cameras, among them several cameras for smaller plate formats. Lancaster made its own lenses and had patents for shutters. Other products were magic lanterns and photographic enlargers.[6]

File:J. LANCASTER & SON, Patent Birmingham, achromatic landscape brass lens 7" w- iris calibrated time, 1878 (17577229684).jpg
An achromatic landscape brass lens.

History

James Lancaster founded the firm of James Lancaster in 1835 on Bull Street in Birmingham. It manufactured spectacles, telescopes and microscopes. It manufactured its wares in a series of small workshops. In 1853, it moved to 37 Colmore Row where it remained until 1907, though it retained the Bull Street property for manufacturing.[citation needed]

In 1870, William James Lancaster, his son took over and in 1871 the name was changed to J. Lancaster & Son.[citation needed] William James refocused the company to include photographic products and popularising them with the public. In 1879 they were offering the Lancaster Pocket Camera, which took 4 ¼ in × 3¼ inch plates and a Gem camera taking multiple images called the Lancaster Carte Camera.

There is a reference in 1874 that Lancaster was producing a pocket camera, reviewed in the British Journal of Photography.[citation needed]

More models followed, Le Merveilleux, Le Meritoire and the Instantograph in 1882, and the pocket watch camera in 1886.[citation needed] In 1898 it claimed to be the worlds largest camera manufacturer having sold over 200,000 cameras.

It became a limited company in 1905, becoming J. Lancaster & Son. Ltd and this is recorded on each camera label. W. J. Lancaster died in 1925 and the firm ceased trading in 1955.[7]

Products

  • The 1/4-plate Instantograph was one of the better known.
  • Le Merveilleux
  • Le Meritoire
  • Gem Apparatus of 1880, a camera with twelve lenses to shoot the same subject twelve times at once. [7]
  • Telescopic Patent Watch Camera in pocket watch format

Gallery

  • J Lancaster & Son Mahogany front with French lens cell 7497.JPG

    Model 7497.

  • J Lancaster & Son 7506.JPG

    Model 7506.

  • J Lancaster & Son viewing screen 7507.JPG

    Model 7507.

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Graces Guide 2015.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Historic Cameras 1503.

Bibliography

  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

  • Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons

<templatestyles src="Asbox/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Stub icon

This article about a company of the UK is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

<templatestyles src="Asbox/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Stub icon

This photography-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=J._Lancaster_%26_Son&oldid=707002531"