I managed to visit Brum today to carry out a bit or research into WA Dawkins camera maker of Edmund St and, in particular, whether he was connected to my Great Grandfather William Dawkins or Grandfather Arthur Dawkins who were camera equipment makers at 37 Cox Street West during the latter part of the 19th century. The information I found previously online suggested that the camera shown in the attached picture by WA Dawkins dated to around 1880.
However, the records show that WA Dawkins occupied 40 Edmund Str for 1 year only - and that was 1896. I could not find any trace of the firm in any other year, at least in Birmingham. This would seem to imply that the camera shown in a previous post and the one attached to this post must have been made in 1896 and the firm probably started and went out of business in the same year. Interestingly, the firm was listed as an opticians which might indicate that they were mainly involved in making lenses which, of course, are the essential element of the cameras of that era (apart from the film).
I have also looked into the background of WA Dawkins himself but so far can find no connection with my side of the family and the activities at 37 Cox Street West.