THE KNOCK-DOWN CAMERA

The Blair Tourograph and Dry Plate Company, 471 & 475 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts 1882-1883

Based upon the advertisement below from the The Philadelphia Photographer, November, 1882, the Blair Tourograph and Dry Plate Company's Knock-Down Camera was introduced in 1882. Thomas H. Blair of Cambridge, Massachusetts, was granted Patent No. 261,130 on July 18, 1882 for the camera's design:

Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Previous to now, the general belief held was that the Knock-Down appeared briefly in 1883. Based upon Blair Tourograph and Dry Plate Company ads from The Philadelphia Photographer, it was advertised between November, 1882 and April, 1883. By May, 1883, the Knock-Down no longer appears in Blair's ads in The Philadelphia Photographer, suggesting that its manufacture probably lasted no more than six or seven months.

An exceedingly rare camera, of which no examples are known to exist.

Page 11 above, is from an undated Blair Tourograph & Dry Plate Company catalogue (front cover is missing). The catalogue's date is estimated to be 1882 or 1883, since it carries the new Blair Tourograph & Dry Plate Company name (post-1881) and features the Blair Knock-Down Camera which was advertised in late 1882 and early 1883.

Page 12 above, is from an undated Blair Tourograph & Dry Plate Company catalogue (front cover is missing). The catalogue's date is estimated to be 1882 or 1883, since it carries the new Blair Tourograph & Dry Plate Company name (post-1881) and features the Blair Knock-Down Camera which was advertised in late 1882 and early 1883.

Undated Blair Tourograph & Dry Plate Company catalogue back cover (front cover is missing). The catalogue's date is estimated to be 1882 or 1883, since it carries the new Blair Tourograph & Dry Plate Company name (post-1881) and features the Blair Knockdown Camera which was advertised in late 1882 and early 1883.

From The Philadelphia Photographer, November, 1882

From The Philadelphia Photographer, April, 1883