[LargeFormat] The Graphic Antiquarian

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Les Newcomer" <lnphoto@twmi.rr.com>
To: <Largeformat@f32.net>
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2002 8:57 PM
Subject: [LargeFormat] The Graphic Antiquarian


> I found a copy (Vol No 2  Oct 1970) of the "Graphic
Antiquarian"  with
> part II of a relatively glossy article on the history of
Graflex,Inc.
> The magazine was published in Indianpolis, Ind. with 32
B&W pages. It
> feels like an organizational publication but does not
announce any
> affilliation.
>   I'm looking for
> A. vol 1 no 1 July 1970 of the same magazine or at least a
photocopy of
> the article
> B. more information on this tie with the Folmer & Schwing
Company and
> bicycles.
>
> I've found gas lamps, cigar cutters and cigarette
lighters, but nothing
> about bicycles.
>
> any information would be most helpful.
>
> Les Newcomer
>
>
  The history of Graflex is covered pretty well by Rudolf
Kingslake in his little book_ The History of Rochester, N.Y.
Camera and Lens Companies_ published by George Eastman
House.
  Graflex started out as Folmer & Schwing in lower
Manhattan. Their original business was making gas lighting
fixtures. At some point, probably when the city became
increasingly electrified, they switched to making bicycles,
which were introduced in the 1880's and had a tremendous
vogue despite being enormously expensive. F&S got into the
camera business by selling cameras as accessories for
bicycle touring. After a time F&H began making their own
cameras. It is from this that the term "cycle camera" comes,
meaning a camera portable enough to take with you on a
bicycle. The bicycle craze ran its course and F&H then
dropped them and concentrated on cameras. Folmer patented a
type of single lens reflex about 1892. The original had a
rather complex shutter which proved to be somewhat
unreliable so he designed a much simpler one, essentially
the one used ever afterward on Graflex and Speed Graphic
cameras.
  The company was bought by Kodak about 1905 but sold again
in the 1920's as the result of anti-trust action against
Kodak. However, the two companies continued to have a close
relationship afterward. Graflex built a number of Eastman
and Kodak cameras, including the popular Kodak 2D view
camera, the Century series of studio and view cameras, and
others.
  I haven't checked the dates above against Kingslake's book
so they may be slightly off but not by much.