Author Topic: Camera companies of Birmingham  (Read 3207 times)

Des Gardner

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Re: Camera companies of Birmingham
« Reply #33 on: June 13, 2019, 10:03:12 PM »
That's exactly the same as the one I have.......so that's saved me some time trying to paste a larger file than the one I put on here earlier! I just wonder now whether this was a bog standard receipt for everybody that bought the camera? interesting story this one!......... O0 Des...

astoness

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Re: Camera companies of Birmingham
« Reply #34 on: June 14, 2019, 03:47:10 AM »
ahh sucess at last...many thanks for posting the receipt james....now i can read it O0


lyn

AWJD

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Re: Camera companies of Birmingham
« Reply #35 on: June 19, 2019, 04:15:34 PM »
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.


mikejee

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Re: Camera companies of Birmingham
« Reply #36 on: June 20, 2019, 12:34:18 AM »
It would seem that the firm W.A.Dawkins & Co were taken over to form a new company Sawkins & Co in November 1895. They seem to have claimed to make other products also, though I have got the impression that some small firms in this period often listed products they made even if it was only 1% or less of their business.
It also seems that there was another company named Dawkins manufacturing photographic equipment  a few years earlier in Buckingham St. However the directories of 1982 and 1890 do not mention this company.
Your comment of only finding the firm in 1896 was presumably from the 1896 directory. 1896 was the publication date, so would probably refer to data of the year before, so would not disagree with these cuttings

AWJD

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Re: Camera companies of Birmingham
« Reply #37 on: June 20, 2019, 06:52:21 AM »
Hi Mikejee.

The information all seems to be consistent and the company looks to have existed only in 1895 rather than 1896 as listed in the Kellys Directory. I am amazed that you managed to find those newspaper articles on the company! They are very helpful because one also lists an FM Dawkins which might help me narrow down on who WA Dawkins was.

AWJD

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Re: Camera companies of Birmingham
« Reply #38 on: June 20, 2019, 08:53:26 AM »
The extra piece of info in the newspaper article has enabled me to identify WA Dawkins. He was born in 1868 in West Bromwich and the Miss FM (Florence May) Dawkins identified in the article was his sister, 4 years his junior. His father's name was William Dawkins and, by the time of the 1891 census, most of the family were living in Bromsgrove. Unfortunately, from what I have now gathered, it is very hard to see any connection with this side of the Dawkins clan and my direct relatives living in Cox Street West!

astoness

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Re: Camera companies of Birmingham
« Reply #39 on: July 03, 2019, 07:15:01 AM »
for those interested in the coronet camera co there is a talk about them at the gunmakers pub bath st in sept...think i will go to this one..link below to book a ticket although i have been to talks before at the guns and you can pay on the day


lyn


https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/birmingham-and-bakelite-a-history-of-cameras-tickets-63025289337?fbclid=IwAR0F3EQpJBknKJg3pU9tCWwcxcO-QgeFdFiLvDTVpHjtbQymPwKTGcp6_oM

mike mancott

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Re: Camera companies of Birmingham
« Reply #40 on: July 03, 2019, 09:45:18 AM »
Worth exploring   www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/companies.html


Manufacturers and others listed alphabetically, some in Brum, several pages, pictures of old cameras, and more.


 

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