[W&B] Murphy Catalog

[Mark Baltor]

 Milan; MY
 "New York
 Optical Works
  R.Morrison"
brass barrel uncut quarter-plate-size radial petzval has the inscription as 
above, with no serial number. The engraving is obviously hand-engraving; 
only the words "Optical Works" are in cursive script; the rest is not 
script, but block letters, with serifs.
Pic attached.
Mark Baltor
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Milan Zahorcak" <milan.zahorcak at comcast.net>
To: "'Collectors of 19th Century Cameras &amp;Photographica'" 
<woodandbrass at kjsl.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 9:53 AM
Subject: RE: [W&B] Murphy Catalog


Greetings,

Hope we all had a pleasant Father's day.



(SNIP)

The other company with a similar name is NY Optical Works, founded by Joseph
Schnitzer, 1867 or so?  NY Opt. Works is engraved on their lenses:

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

Alas, try as I might, I couldn't get Ben to simply steal this thing from the
Smithsonian.  Later NYOW lenses were mostly lacquered brass.

E & GW Blunt (179 Water Street, NYC) were the agents for NYOW.  I have ads
from 1869, but nothing before or after, so I don't know what happened to
either NYOW or Blunt.

Oh, well, life goes on.  Maybe I'll know more after lunch . . .

mz


> -----Original Message-----
> From: woodandbrass-bounces at kjsl.com
> [mailto:woodandbrass-bounces at kjsl.com] On Behalf Of Rob McElroy
> Sent: Friday, June 15, 2007 12:16 PM
> To: Collectors of 19th Century Cameras &amp;Photographica
> Subject: Re: [W&B] Morrison et al & Small NYC optical houses
>
>
> Milan,
>
> Here are the two photos you asked for.
>
> W.T. Gregg advertisement in 1887 American Annual of Photography, page
> xxxv of the advertising section:
> <http://www.pce.net/idag/W.%20T.%20Gregg%201887%20ad.JPG>
>
> George Murphy 1906-1907 catalog, page 8.  Note the different company
> name spellings and the use of the dash (-) in New York.
> "New-York Lens
> Co." is seen engraved on the lens in the Portrait Group illustration,
> while "New York Lense Co." and "N.Y.L." were (in theory)
> engraved on the
> Rectilinear Portrait lenses. Who knows if any of these
> engravings were
> truly accurate to the way the lenses were actually sold. The
> Rectilinear
> Portrait lenses were said to have been made by B&L, but the Portrait
> Group series are not credited.
> <http://www.pce.net/idag/George%20Murphy%201907%20lenses.JPG>
>
> Optical Cheers,
> Rob
>
>
> Milan Zahorcak wrote:
> > Rob,
> >
> > Yes, Gregg was a large supply house and a number of items were
> > rebranded with the Gregg name, including a couple of very cool
> > shutters.  As always, I have no idea who made their lenses.
> >
> > Do you have one of their catalogs?  I'd love to have scans of their
> > lens pages.
> >
> > I didn't mean to minimize Richard Morrison.  I was being familiar -
> > Morrison goes back a long way and had a great career.  Far
> above the
> > other names on my list of "small" NYC optic makers.  And to
> get back
> > in your good graces, a short bio of Richard Morrison that you might
> > enjoy and which also answers your question about Wale
> Universal Lenses
> > as well:
> >
> > Morrison started his career working for Benjamin Pike, a microscope
> > and telescope maker.  Eventually goes to work for CC Harrison and
> > becomes foreman and plant manager at CCH.
> >
> > Nelson Wright acquired CCH around 1862.  Harrison died in 1864.
> > Morrison and George Wale (!), who was also a close friend of
> > Morrison's, continued to run the CCH plant under Nelson
> Wright.  But
> > then Wright sells CCH to American Optical - all in 1864.
> >
> > Morrison then leaves CCH and goes back to work for Benjamin
> Pike.  I
> > don't know what Wale does at this moment.
> >
> > Then AOC is acquired by Scovill in 1866, and the CCH
> operation stops -
> > although there is lots of inventory and AOL takes over the
> lens making
> > operation, still using the CCH trade name . . . but . . .
> >
> > Then Joseph Schnitzer (remember? of Harrison & Schnitzer
> fame) leaves
> > CCH/AOC in 1866-67 (?) and starts the New York Optical Works.
> >
> > Schnitzer then asks Morrison to come to work for NYOW which
> Morrison
> > does, maybe 1867-68 or so..
> >
> > But Schnitzer dies around 1870 or so, and Morrison starts his own
> > company AND asks old friend George Wale to join him, which
> Wale does.
> >
> > Scovill is doing OK ante bellum, but needs more lenses and more
> > variety.
> >
> > Morrison is making Morrison lenses, Scovill approaches him
> and offers
> > to be his agent.  Scovill sells Morrison lenses under the Morrison
> > name, and Morrison makes Peerless line for (and under) the Scovill
> > name.
> >
> > George Wale - somehow, I don't know the details - gets credit for a
> > couple of shutters and lenses.  Maybe just a Morrison
> product line?  I
> > don't think he ever goes off by himself.
> >
> > Morrison dies in 1888 and I don't know what happens after
> that . . .
> > Whew! Maybe succeeded by one of those other houses?
> >
> > Now back to George Murphy, another huge dealer.  I had a Murphy
> > catalog at one time, but I think Geary managed to "dot" it
> and made it
> > off - although now he'll probably disavow any knowledge.
> Anyhow . . .
> >
> > Again, I'd love to have scans of the Murphy lens pages.
> >
> > BUT . . . I have not heard of a "New York Lens Co."
> Schnitzer's company
> > was the New York Optical Works - "NY Optical Works" was actually
> > engraved on the lenses.
> >
> > Dazzit.  Long day in the Columbia River Gorge (have house
> guests) and
> > am beat.
> >
> > Nite,
> >
> > mz
> >
>

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: New York Optical Works radial.JPG
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 28509 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.kjsl.com/pipermail/woodandbrass/attachments/20070619/973f24e8/NewYorkOpticalWorksradial-0001.jpeg