[W&B] Wood and brass - test for Michael

Tue Jan 15 19:44:39 EST 2008

Marcel,

You always astonish me.  Amazing work.  

Unfortunately, this item already has a bidder so I can't raise the price,
but I do encourage you (and all other members who are not in full
hibernation) to bid wildly as I am still paying off my share of the kids
college loans . . . that will go on for years to come, sigh.

Many thanks,

mz

PS:  Holland Park, Queensland?  Near Brisbane, yes?  I spent a couple of
months down-under in 2004 including a week in Port Douglas - none of the
touristy Cairns for us.   Lovely country, had a wonderful time.  What would
you like to know?   I could send you all 1249 pics  . . .

-----Original Message-----
From: woodandbrass-bounces at kjsl.com [mailto:woodandbrass-bounces at kjsl.com]
On Behalf Of Marcel Safier
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 11:20 AM
To: 'Collectors of 19th Century Cameras &amp;Photographica'
Subject: RE: [W&B] Wood and brass - test for Michael

Milan and Michael

Firstly Milan, I don't usually propagate shameless plugs for eBay cameras I
intend bidding on but you have flushed me out with your enquiry! I am
working on a database of British camera manufacturers in the background and
can provide the following:

William Heath was listed in the censuses thus.

1851 William and Thomas C. Heath, 46 Fore St, Stole Damerel, Devon Opticians
and Nautical Instrument Makers
1861 William Heath, 1 Clarence Baths, Devonport Master Optician
1871 William Heath, Buckland Monachorum, Devon Mathematical Instrument Maker
& Photographer
1881 William Heath, Portland Square, Plymouth Optician and Photographer. 
1891 William Heath, Furzecroft, Tavistock Optician and Photographer (his
daughter Elizabeth is listed as masseuse and nurse electrician - please
count me in!)
1901 William Heath, Howard Heath licensee of the Plough Hotel, Weston Super
Mare (he was listed in 1891 as a Photographer)

William Heath b. 4 Sep 1823, bap. 12 Oct 1823, Granby Or Mount Street
Chapel-Independent, Devonport, Devon son of William Heath and Alice Cornish
William Heath died Tavistock, Devon 1896

I would like to mention the resource that might help others researching
British instrument makers that you appear to have quoted, namely the Webster
database of signed scientific instruments
http://historydb.adlerplanetarium.org/signatures/ 

We note it lists William Heath and Thomas Cornish; barometer and instrument
makers, 46 Fore Street, Devonport (1850-52). I can't find a Thomas Cornish
in the 1851 census. I believe this is an error and indeed refers to Thomas
Cornish Heath b. 18 Feb 1826, baptized: 16 Apr 1826, Granby Or Mount Street
Chapel-Independent, Devonport, Devon son of William Heath and Alice Cornish.
I will be notifying the database maintainers of this correction.

William is listed thus as a photographer (thank you to Sandy Barrie for
this):

William Heath, 5 George St, Plymouth 1866
Heath and Bullingham, 24 George St, Plymouth 1877-1892
Heath & Co, 24 George St, Plymouth 1893-1902
Heath and Stoneman, 24 George St, Plymouth 1902-1926

Since William died in 1896 and Howard went to Weston and ran a pub I wonder
who the Heath was in the photography business after William's death? He had
no other sons I am aware of unless it was one of his daughters. His widow
and daughters Elizabeth and Alice moved to Torquay. Maybe they just traded
using Heath's his name. 

I would indeed consider William Heath likely to have been a camera
manufacturer given his long history as an optical manufacture and his
simultaneous occupation in photography. What do you think Michael?

Cheers!

Marcel
--
Marcel Safier (Photographic Historian)
PO Box 239
Holland Park 4121
Queensland Australia
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~msafier/index.html 

-----Original Message-----
From: woodandbrass-bounces at kjsl.com [mailto:woodandbrass-bounces at kjsl.com]
On Behalf Of Milan Zahorcak
Sent: 15 January 2008 16:05
To: 'Collectors of 19th Century Cameras &amp;Photographica'
Subject: RE: [W&B] Wood and brass - test for Michael

Hmmm . . . good point about Vernon.
My guy is probably William Heath.  But Dubya . . . W as you folks say, was
also involved in photography.
W. Heath shows up at 24 George Street, Plymouth, and I have found many
photographic references for Heath & Bullingham, also at 24 George Street,
Plymouth.

And here is a satellite view of 24 George Street . . .

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q
<http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=24+Geor
ge+Street,+Plymouth,+England&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=45.822921,74.707031
&ie=UTF8&ll=50.369199,-4.173015&spn=0.002265,0.00456&t=h&z=18&om=1>
&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=24+George+Street,+Plymouth,+England&sll
=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=45.822921,74.707031&ie=UTF8&ll=50.369199,-4.173015&
spn=0.002265,0.00456&t=h&z=18&om=1

As far as hardware goes, both Christies and Sotheby's have auctioned various
W. Heath instruments in the past, see below.

And Devonport is also mentioned on occasion; and is near Plymouth, I
believe.

Oh, well . . . I'm still going to claim that the camera is rare and
historically significant - at least for my wallet.

Thanks,

mz

HEATH, WILLIAM, 24 George Street, Plymouth, England, c.1850, MIM PHIM SIM
Stick Barometer = Sotheby's 7/28/72; Theodolite = Ineichen 10/20/75;
Microscope - Christie 11/22/78.    

HEATH, THOMAS C. England, c.1850, OIM PHIM Telescope, eight draw = DeLuca
8/1/87.  Optician; barometer maker; watchmaker; the telescope was signed
"Heath, 24 George St. Plymouth;"

HEATH, WILLIAM.  England, fl.1850-57, MIM OIM PHIM Theodolites = P.C.
(1968), Christie 4/3/85; Stadiometers = OXF, Christie 7/12/67.  often signed
"W. Heath"; worked with Thomas Cornish in 1850; "Optician."  46 Fore Street
(1850-52); 116 Fore Street (1857); both in Devonport. 

HEATH, England, c.1850, MIM OIM PHIM Binocular Microscope = D.(1972); Rule,
ivory, = Sotheby's 10/15/73; Stick Barometer = X; Telescope = Frank Coll.
"Optician"; probably Thomas C. Heath or William Heath, Plymouth. 

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