Scope and Contents
This material consists primarily of catalogs, printed advertisements scattered correspondence on letterhead stationery, price lists, bills/receipts, addresses, envelopes, advertising cards both for products and photographers, reports, photographs, descriptive circulars, leaflets, sales contracts, product manuals, periodicals, books, handbooks, guides, patents and order forms from manufacturers and dealers of photographic supplies and equipment. The different types of products include film, burnishing tools, cameras, camera lenses, magazine plate holders, photographic chemicals, magic lanterns, stereopticons and slides, photographic paper, daguerreotype apparatus', pressing machines and dry plates. Many of the companies sold other products such as photograph albums, books, views, photograph cards, reproductions and other photographic outfits.
There are numerous illustrations throughout this collection. A number of these images are of photographic products. These product illustrations are found primarily in trade catalogs, as well as on advertisements and price lists. Various images are of world sites and cities. There are numerous images of women, children, flowers and birds on photographer advertising cards and some catalogs from some of the manufacturers and dealers.
Researchers interested in material from photographic societies, organizations and associations will also find information in this collection. Such organizations include the Photographers Association of America, The Association of Heliographers, and various other groups formed on the state level. Most of the information relates to exhibits and conventions.
Publications pertaining to photography for the amateur and novice are in a variety of articles, reports, bulletins, periodicals, journals and handbooks. Instructional guides on using photographic products are also included, as well as discussions on many aspects of photography.
Most of the material found in this collection was published in English, however, several articles, books and reports were printed in German and French.
Manufacturers and dealers of photographic materials are in boxes one through seven and are arranged in alphabetical order by name of company. Box seven also includes photographers, instructors/schools and printing, developing, enlarging and copying houses. Box eight through nine is a continuation of the developing houses, general works, patents, import/export documents and related publications. Related publication s are organized by type and then alphabetically by name of publication.