N.P.A. VARIATION 1B-STYLE CAMERA

Greenpoint Optical Company, Brooklyn, New York 1886-1891

This Greenpoint Optical Company manufactured field camera is essentially the same as E. & H.T. Anthony's N.P.A. Variation 1B, with different badging.

Greenpoint Optical's factory was formerly operated by E. & H. T. Anthony & Company, and many cameras manufactured by Greenpoint Optical are essentially identical to those of Anthony. Some of the known Greenpoint "clones", are Anthony's Victor, N.P.A. and Eureka cameras. Manufacturing dates for these cameras most likely paralleled those of Anthony's models.

Examples of Anthony's Single Achromatic Lens can also be found marked with the "Greenpoint Optical Co." name:

And printing frames as well, with either the Greenpoint Optical Company name or their "GOC" logo:

4x5 5x8

Some printing frames are found stamped "Pat. App'd For", or with a December 8, 1885 date stamped into the printing frame. This date refers to Patent No. 331,980, granted to William H. Lewis for a "photographic printing frame". The patent was assigned to the E.& H.T. Anthony & Company of New York:

Source: Google Patents

The N.P.A.-style example shown here, has nickel-plated brass hardware with an ivoroid Greenpoint Optical tag, a nickel-plated brass sliding bed lock specific to this 4x5 model and an Anthony "cone" style lens marked "Greenpoint Optical Co., Single.1, Achromatic".

Many of E. & H.T. Anthony & Company's field cameras are extremely scarce or rare today. These Greenpoint Optical Company counter-parts are even more so, as some of the models are seen very infrequently or almost never.