Graflex
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Graflex was a
manufacturer Manufacturing is the creation or Production (economics), production of goods with the help of equipment, Work (human activity), labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary se ...
that gave its
brand name A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...
to several
camera A camera is an instrument used to capture and store images and videos, either digitally via an electronic image sensor, or chemically via a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. As a pivotal technology in the fields of photograp ...
models. The company was founded as the Folmer and Schwing Manufacturing Company in New York City in 1887 by William F. Folmer and William E. Schwing as a metal working factory, manufacturing gas light fixtures, chandeliers, bicycles and eventually, cameras. In 1909, it was acquired by
George Eastman George Eastman (July 12, 1854March 14, 1932) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Kodak, Eastman Kodak Company and helped to bring the photographic use of roll film into the mainstream. After a decade of experiments in photography, he ...
, and the company was moved to 12 Caledonia Avenue (later renamed Clarissa Street) in
Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...
in 1928. It operated as the Folmer & Schwing Division of the
Eastman Kodak Company The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...
. In 1926, Kodak was forced to divest itself of the division, which was spun off forming a new company, the Folmer Graflex Corporation, which changed its name to Graflex Inc. in 1946. In 1956, it became a Division of the General Instrument Precision Company, and moved its offices to Pittsford, New York outside Rochester. In 1968, the company was sold to the
Singer Corporation Singer Corporation is an American manufacturer of consumer sewing machines, first established as I. M. Singer & Co. in 1851 by Isaac Singer, Isaac M. Singer with New York lawyer Edward Cabot Clark, Edward C. Clark. Best known for its sewing mac ...
. Graflex was known for the quintessential press camera, the Speed Graphic which was manufactured for over 60 years, and was used by most of the photojournalists in the first half of the 20th century.


History

William F. Folmer, an inventor, co-owned the Folmer and Schwing Manufacturing Company, founded in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
as a gas lamp company. As the gas lamp market declined, the company expanded into other areas including
bicycles A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. ...
and photographic equipment, leading to the release of the first Graflex camera in 1899. As the company's success grew, it chose to focus on photography and dropped its other manufacturing lines, and in 1905 was acquired by
George Eastman George Eastman (July 12, 1854March 14, 1932) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Kodak, Eastman Kodak Company and helped to bring the photographic use of roll film into the mainstream. After a decade of experiments in photography, he ...
, in 1907 becoming the Folmer Graflex Division of
Eastman Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...
. After a succession of name changes, it finally became simply "Graflex, Inc." in 1945. Eastman Kodak made all of the Graflex cameras in their professional equipment manufacturing plant on Clarrisa street in Rochester NY. In 1926, as a result of violations of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act (Comp. St. § 8820 et seq.) Kodak was forced to divest itself of its professional equipment division, which became Graflex Inc. This company existed under independent ownership until 1958, when the company was bought by the General Precision Equipment, which operated it as an independent division until 1968, when it was sold to the
Singer Corporation Singer Corporation is an American manufacturer of consumer sewing machines, first established as I. M. Singer & Co. in 1851 by Isaac Singer, Isaac M. Singer with New York lawyer Edward Cabot Clark, Edward C. Clark. Best known for its sewing mac ...
, who also operated it as a division until 1973, when it was finally wrapped up and its tooling sold to the Toyo Corporation. From 1912 to 1973 Graflex produced
large format Large format photography refers to any imaging format of or larger. Large format is larger than "medium format", the or size of Hasselblad, Mamiya, Rollei, Kowa, and Pentax cameras (using 120 film, 120- and 220-roll film), and much la ...
and
medium format Medium format has traditionally referred to a film format in photography and the related cameras and equipment that use film. Nowadays, the term applies to film and digital cameras that record images on media larger than the used in 35&n ...
press camera A press camera is a medium or large format view camera that was predominantly used by press photographers in the early to mid-20th century. It was largely replaced for press photography by 35mm film cameras in the 1960s, and subsequently, by ...
s in film formats from to . They also produced
rangefinder A rangefinder (also rangefinding telemeter, depending on the context) is a device used to Length measurement, measure distances to remote objects. Originally optical devices used in surveying, they soon found applications in other fields, suc ...
, SLR and TLR cameras in a variety of formats ranging from 35mm to . The Rochester Folmer plant also manufactured the Century Studio Camera, which was marketed under both the Kodak and Graflex nameplates. However, because Graflex printed separate catalogs for its studio and portable offerings, many erroneously believe the Century Studios to have been manufactured elsewhere.


Graflex Reflex cameras

The first of the Graflex-branded cameras, released in 1898, was the Graflex camera, also known as the Graflex Reflex, or Graflex single lens reflex (SLR). This camera used the same swinging-mirror, through-the-lens viewing mechanism as modern single lens reflex cameras, introduced many decades later, and quickly became popular for
sports Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...
and press
photography Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...
in the early 20th century due largely to its use of a
focal plane shutter In camera design, a focal-plane shutter (FPS) is a type of photographic shutter (photography), shutter that is positioned immediately in front of the focal plane of the camera, that is, right in front of the photographic film or image sensor. ...
. To produce
shutter speed In photography, shutter speed or exposure time is the length of time that the film or digital sensor inside the camera is exposed to light (that is, when the camera's shutter (photography), shutter is open) when taking a photograph. The am ...
s fast enough to appear to freeze rapid motion, early Graflex cameras employed a cloth shutter with a narrow slit that quickly moved across the film plane, exposing only one small strip at any given moment in its travel. To set the shutter speed, the photographer wound the shutter spring to one of a series of calculated tensions using a key, and selected the slit width with another control. A table on the side of the box gave the shutter speed for each combination. The Graflex Reflex was also popular among early 20th Century fine art photographers, leading several lens manufacturers to design special soft-focus lenses, including the famous Wollensak's Verito, to support the camera's creative potential.


Speed Graphic and Crown Graphic press cameras

Graflex Speed Graphic folding cameras, produced from 1912 to 1973 also employed a focal plane shutter, but omitted the SLR swinging mirror and through-the lens viewing, replacing it by an external viewfinder, while retaining a
view camera A view camera is a large format, large-format camera in which the large format lens, lens forms an erect image, inverted image on a ground glass, ground-glass screen directly at the film plane. The image is viewed, composed, and focused, then the ...
's traditional
ground glass Ground glass is glass whose surface has been ground to produce a flat but rough ( matte) finish, in which the glass is in small sharp fragments. Ground glass surfaces have many applications, ranging from ornamentation on windows and table glass ...
for static subjects. This allowed the camera to be considerably lighter, and fold into a rugged boxy shape. These cameras could also be used with "between-the-lens" shutters mounted to the front lens board as more typically seen on large format cameras. The Speed Graphic became even more popular than the Graflex Reflex as a press and sports camera, so much so that to this type of classic press camera features in the masthead of the
New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...
. The top-to-bottom motion of the focal plane shutter exposed the upper portion of the film first (i.e., the bottom of the inverted image as seen at the focal plane), so many photographs of
automobile racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...
taken with Speed Graphics depicted the wheels of cars in an oval shape leaning forward. This feature was so ubiquitous in racing photography that it came to be a conventional graphical indication for speed, influencing many
cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...
s who drew wheels in this same style to indicate fast motion. Speed Graphics have also been used with success by many fine art photographers, as they work quite well with special un-shuttered lenses that were manufactured originally for the Graflex Reflex. Speed Graphics are still widely used by modern fine art photographers because of their unique image creation capabilities and simple, easily serviced mechanical design. The Crown Graphic models of this same period were similar in overall design to the Speed Graphics, but omitted their focal plane shutter, allowing Crown Graphic models to be about one inch (2.5 cm) smaller and 1 pound lighter (.5 kg) Furthermore, their lack of a focal plane shutter allowed lenses to be mounted closer to the film plane, enabling the use of wider angle lenses on these models.


Graflex cameras

Sources:


Press cameras

* ''1912–1973'' Speed Graphic Models * ''1912–1927'' Top Handle Speed Graphic * ''1928–1939'' Pre-Anniversary Speed Graphic * ''1939–1946'' Miniature Speed Graphic * ''1940–1946'' Anniversary Speed Graphic * ''1947–1970'' Pacemaker Speed Graphic * ''1947–1973'' Pacemaker Crown Graphic * ''1949–1970'' Century Graphic * ''1958–1973'' Super Graphic * ''1961–1970'' Super Speed Graphic


Other large format and SLR cameras

* ''1907–1923'' Press Graflex - * ''1909–1941'' Auto Graflex * ''1923–1952'' R.B.Graflex Series B (R.B. for Rotating Back) * ''1938–1942'' Crown View * ''1941–1949'' Graphic View * ''1949–1967'' Graphic View II * 1912–1940 5x7 Home Portrait Graflex * 1923–1932 5x7 Series B Graflex * 5x7, 3x5 Compact Graflex * 5x7 Stereo Graflex *1928–1947 3x4 and 4x5 Series D *1941–1963 Super D Graflex * 3x4 Series C Graflex with Cooke 2.5 Lens * 3x4 and 4x5 RB Auto Graflex * 4x5 Naturalist Graflex (Graflex Century Studio portrait Cameras)


Other 120/220 and 70mm film cameras

* ''1933–1941'' National Graflex Series I, Series II * ''1952–1956'' Graflex 22 * ''1965–1973'' Graflex XL * ''1953–1957'' Combat Graphic * ''1971–1976'' Graflex Norita (a.k.a. Norita 66)


35mm rangefinder and stereo

* ''1949–1953'' Graflex Ciro 35 * ''1955–1962'' Graflex Stereo Graphic * ''1955–1957'' Graflex Graphic 35 * ''1957–1961'' Graflex Century 35 * ''1959–1963'' Graphic 35 Electric (a.k.a. Iloca Electric)


Aerial cameras

* ''1941–1945'' Folmer Graflex K-20 Aircraft Camera (a.k.a. Fairchild K-20) * Folmer Graflex K-21 Aircraft Camera * Folmer Graflex K-25 Aircraft Camera


Military cameras

Source: * ''1940–1943'' Graflex C-3 * ''1942–1944'' Graflex PH-47-F * ''1942–1944'' Graflex PH-47-E * ''1947–1949'' Graflex PH-47-H * ''1947–1950'' Graflex C-6 * ''1949–1952'' Graflex PH-47-J * ''1953–1957'' Graflex KE-4 * ''1953–1955'' Graflex KE-12 * ''1965–1973'' Graflex XLRF KS-98B The company name changed several times over the years, as it was absorbed and released by the
Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...
empire—finally becoming a division of the
Singer Corporation Singer Corporation is an American manufacturer of consumer sewing machines, first established as I. M. Singer & Co. in 1851 by Isaac Singer, Isaac M. Singer with New York lawyer Edward Cabot Clark, Edward C. Clark. Best known for its sewing mac ...
. It dissolved in 1973. The Graflex plant in suburban Pittsford, New York still stands at 3750 Monroe Avenue, and was the corporate headquarters of
Veramark Technologies Veramark Technologies, Inc. provided services and software for Telecom Expense Management and call accounting. The company "specialized in controlling telecom expenses by managing a company's voice, data, and wireless services through a combinatio ...
from 1997 to 2010.


Popular culture and today's usage

Because the Speed Graphic had its historical origins as the quintessential press camera prior to the advent of 35mm and digital photography for use by press photographers, some still consider the use of a Graflex obsolete. However, both the Speed Graphic and the Graflex SLR have focal plane shutters that allow use of large un-shuttered barrel lenses. These cameras are now being used by fine art photographers to make images that excel in depth of field control and image detail. As an example, a Kodak Aero Ektar 178 mm f/2.5 lens can be fitted to Speed Graphic 4x5 cameras and used to take soft/sharp photographs with complete control of the depth of focus. The
lightsaber A lightsaber is a fictional energy sword featured throughout ''Star Wars''. A typical lightsaber is shown as a luminous laser sword about in length emitted from a metal hilt around in length. First introduced in the original ''Star Wars'' ...
prop used in the 1977 release of ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' was a modified 1940s Graflex 3-cell flashgun, which was designed to hold flash bulbs for vintage "Speed Graphic" cameras. The model of the flashgun used in the movie had the patent #2310165 stamped onto the bottom. A stylized
logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name that it represents, as in ...
of a Speed Graphic camera appears on the flag of the ''New York Daily News'' Graflex, Inc., a company in Jupiter, Fla. manufactures precision optical, electronic, and mechanical devices, mostly for the military.


See also

* Fairchild K-20 a
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
-era aerial camera made by Folmer Graflex Corp., which became Graflex Inc. in 1945 * Linhof similar cameras manufactured in Germany *
Press camera A press camera is a medium or large format view camera that was predominantly used by press photographers in the early to mid-20th century. It was largely replaced for press photography by 35mm film cameras in the 1960s, and subsequently, by ...


References


Sources

*Kingslake, Rudolf
''The Rochester Camera and Lens Companies''
(
Rochester NY Rochester is a city in and the seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 census. The city form ...
, Photographic Historical Society, 1974)
OCLC OCLC, Inc. See also: is an American nonprofit cooperative organization "that provides shared technology services, original research, and community programs for its membership and the library community at large". It was founded in 1967 as the ...
3335854


External links


Homepage of Graflex.Org
"Dedicated to promoting the use and preservation of Graflex Speed Graphics and other classic and large-format cameras."
The Graflex Speed Graphic FAQ
on Graflex.org
Graflex.org: Kingslake historical essay

Information on the Graflex Press Camera
(at a website run by a collector named Jo Lommen)

page on history of photography.
Graflex Camera Catalog Info
Historic Camera
Graflex Collection
website dedicated to Graflex cameras {{Authority control Cameras Kodak Photography equipment manufacturers of the United States Manufacturing companies based in Rochester, New York History of Rochester, New York