THE NEWCOMB SPECIAL
Marketed through Newcomb & Owen, New
York 1891
From Scovill's The American Annual of
Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for 1891
So far, other than its reference in the advertisement above,
nothing to our knowledge is known about the Newcomb Special hand camera. Newcomb & Owen, per their
advertisements below, was a manufacturer and dealer in photographic supplies. Established by Edward W. Newcomb, the firm was
actively advertising hand cameras into 1892 at least.
From
Scovill's The American Annual of Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for
1890
Listed alongside other box-style detective cameras in the
1891 ad, the Newcomb Special is presumed to have been of the same style. The
"Special" designation must have no doubt been true, as the camera's
$80-$115 was the most expensive hand camera in the group. At that price, one
might speculate that the Newcomb Special was its own distinct brand, like that
of most any other detective camera of the day. And again at that price, one
would think the camera would have been reviewed by at least one of the period
trade journals, but none have been found. Then again, having a photographic
supplier's name attached, is more suggestive of it being Newcomb & Owen's private-branded
version of another well known camera from an established manufacturer. In
either case, the Newcomb Special in name at least, was very short-lived.
The existence of the Newcomb
Special was discovered while researching another camera. Just another instance
of a previously unknown camera, that we'd like to learn more about and find an
example of.
From Scovill's The American Annual of
Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for 1892
From Scovill's The American Annual of
Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for 1893
From Scovill's The American Annual of
Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for 1893
From Scovill's The American Annual of
Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for 1894