[W&B] US Optical Company / RD Gray ???

[Milan Zahorcak]

It is the oddest thing . . . you'd think there ought to be something out
there on RD Gray, or Robert D. Gray.

We all know he was involved with the Gray/Stirn camera . . . and that's
about all I can find.

Yet I own had a bunch of his lenses - all having "Periscope" in the name -
and  I know a couple of other collectors who have a bunch of his lenses, and
they show up on eBay often enough to guess that he made quite a few.  My
guess would be 1890s through 1920 or so, since you find them on Wollensak
shutters every now and then.

So, who were the big photo supply houses in the early 1900s?  He's got to
appear in some general catalog.

OH! and RD Gray made the Marvel shutter:

http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/milanpub/Misc-pics/Gray_Marvel.jpg

The ad claims that he was an "optician" in New York.

But no matter what combination I search for, I come up with the same 3 or 4
Stirn references and that's it.  Gotta be more out there.  What am I doing
wrong?

And that damned catalog continues to elude me!

I'm now in the middle of searching for US Optical . . . and getting no where
fast.

Grumble,

mz


> -----Original Message-----
> From: woodandbrass-bounces at kjsl.com 
> [mailto:woodandbrass-bounces at kjsl.com] On Behalf Of Rob McElroy
> Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 7:01 PM
> To: Collectors of 19th Century Cameras &Photographica
> Subject: Re: [W&B] US Optical Company ???
> 
> 
> Hey Milan,
> 
> I guess you're going to have start searching for that elusive 
> R. D. Gray 
> catalog you said you have.  You, in fact, may be THE best source of 
> information.
> 
> I don't have anything on Gray that I know of, but when you 
> have a large 
> library, hey, you never know. 
> 
> US Optical?  Hmmmm?
> 
> Cheers,
> Rob McElroy
> Buffalo, NY
> 
> 
> Milan Zahorcak wrote:
> >  
> > Wow, so not much on R D Gray . . . not here, not on IDCC, 
> not on the 
> > web.
> >  
> > But here's another chance for y'all.
> >  
> > US optical Company ???
> >  
> > Anyone?
> >  
> > Have I asked this before?  Scheesch.  The older I get, the 
> more I know
> > I don't know.
> >  
> > mz
> >  
> >  
> >  
>