WALKER'S POCKET CAMERA LENS

Wm H. Walker & Company, Rochester, New York 1881 - 1883

Single element achromatic wide-angle lens and Waterhouse stop for Walker's Pocket Camera, manufactured by William H. Walker of Rochester, New York.

Although Walker's Pocket Camera represented one of the earliest efforts at providing an outfit for the amateur, Wm. H. Walker is best known for his collaboration with George Eastman resulting in the Eastman-Walker Roll Holder. Prior to bringing out Walker's Pocket Camera, he was involved in the photographic supply business and would later be associated with Eastman until he retired.

The lens, measuring 1-1/8" in height, with a barrel diameter of 7/8" and a mounting flange diameter of 1-9/16" is stamped "Wm. H. Walker, Pats Apld For", one of which was for the camera's design Patent No. 259,064 granted June 6, 1882. As noted in Manufacturer and Builder, May 1882, Volume 14, Issue 5, the camera was introduced at the Cincinnati Industrial Exposition in August, 1881. Manufacturing continued in 1882 with production stopping at some point prior to Walker selling his manufacturing operation to W. F. Carlton in 1883.

Reportedly, about a half dozen examples of Walker's Pocket Camera have survived, and this is believed to be the only extra Walker lens known to exist.

For more information on William H. Walker and Walker's Pocket Camera, click on the links below:

https://antiquecameras.net/blog90.html

http://www.historiccamera.com/cgi-bin/librarium2/pm.cgi?action=app_display&app=datasheet&app_id=1256

http://www.historiccamera.com/cgi-bin/librarium2/pm.cgi?action=app_display&app=datasheet&app_id=231