ANTHONY'S PATENT SATCHEL DETECTIVE CAMERA FIRST MODEL

E. & H.T. Anthony & Company, New York 1886

Anthony's Patent Satchel Detective Camera was introduced in 1886. The Philadelphia Photographer for July 17, 1886 announced under their "Report on the Progress of Photography in America", that the satchel detective camera was invented by Richard A. Anthony of New York. An ad in The Philadelphia Photographer for August 21, 1886 and one in Anthony's Illustrated Catalogue of Amateur Photographic Equipments and Materials, September,1886, illustrates a camera box encased within a satchel-style bag with a shoulder strap. This camera box would be introduced with modifications in 1887, as Anthony's Climax Detective Camera. The Patent Satchel's outer covering was offered in genuine alligator, imitation alligator or grained leather. In this first model's only year of production, this predecessor to the Climax Detective was only offered with the satchel option. In 1887, both the Climax Detective and the Satchel Detective were available separately and by 1894 only the Satchel option was offered. The example shown here is missing its satchel and differs slightly from the patent drawing, having an extended body to accommodate additional plate holders.

Patent No. 349,133 of September 14, 1886, was granted to Richard A. Anthony and William H. Lewis for the co-design of the satchel case:

Source: Google Patents

It's interesting to note that Patent No. 372,856 (November 8, 1887) covering the Satchel camera's design was granted subsequent to Patent No. 360,314 (March 29, 1887) covering the Climax Detective's design. However, William H. Lewis filed for the November, 8, 1887 patent (Satchel) on October 29, 1885, over a year earlier than his patent application for the Climax Detective (December 28, 1886).

Source: Google Patents

Lewis' patent for the Satchel Detective, called for an improved camera adapted for instantaneous work. It incorporated a new focusing device, a spring retainer for holding the ground glass, a viewfinder with a ground glass screen parallel to the lens and a rotary-style shutter that could be adjusted for speed. Comparing engravings for the Satchel Detective in the 1886 and 1887 Anthony catalogues below, these modifications become evident. From 1887 forward, these new features would continue with the Climax and the Patent Satchel Detectives for the remainder of their production runs.

I'm not aware of any other 1886 model Patent Satchels. Two known examples in private collections are both equipped with the later 1887-style shutter and lens configuration.

In any form, the Patent Satchel is considered extremely rare. Surviving examples, along with the unknown or undiscovered, can most likely be counted on two hands.

First Model from Anthony's Illustrated Catalogue of Amateur Photographic Equipments and Materials, September,1886

Second Model from Anthony's Illustrated Catalogue of Photographic Equipments and Materials for Amateurs, January, 1891

SIDE STORY

Billed as a" Schmid Detective Camera" on eBay, maybe the seller saw some correlation to the wood construction or the circular focusing scale found on Schmid's later models.

It wasn't a Schmid, but the camera was intriguing as it shared many similarities with the Anthony Climax Detective. Some of the features that set it apart, though, were the manner in which the focusing scale was split to permit the opening of access doors, the unusual cylindrical lens surround and the rotary shutter....all features that differed from the solid focusing scale, simple lens mount and the guillotine-style shutter found on the Climax Detective.

It remained unidentified for several years, until an un-related search to locate the Climax Detective's patents. Reviewing several of W.H. Lewis' patents, up pops a drawing showing all the features of the Patent Satchel. It was instantly apparent that this unidentified camera was THE camera shown in the patent drawings.

However, it wasn't until a review of early Anthony catalogues to determine the Climax's introduction, that the Patent Satchel engravings were even noticed in detail. The modifications between the 1886 and 1887 models then became apparent, confirming that this camera was once the "heart" of a Patent Satchel Detective from its first year of production.

Now, if I can just find the alligator satchel cover!