In 1854 The London Stereoscope Company was established at 54 Cheapside by George Swann Nottage as the founder and managing partner. Howard John Kennard may have started as partner or he became one during the early beginnings of the business. Howard Kennard was most likely a cousin, because it is recorded that George Nottage worked for his Uncle Mr. R. W. Kennard, MP in the iron business prior to establsihing the Stereoscopic company. The London Stereoscope Company was established to manufacture and sell the lenticular stereoscope viewer designed by Sir William Brewster in 1850 and a quickly growing archive of Stereoscopic images. The company advertised the slogan 'No home without a stereoscope'.

In 1856 the Company's name was changed slightly to the London Stereoscopic Co. in order to reflect the growing demand for their stereo photographs. In February 1856, an advertisement in the Photographic Journal stated, "The largest collection in Europe, upwards of 10,000" stereo views and the company sold a half a million stereoscopes. The company employed numerous photographers including, William England, Thomas Richard Williams, W. & D. Downey, James Elliott, Alfred Silvester, John Duncuft and many others. However photographer William England stands out because he was with the company from the beginning and for his extensive portfolio traveling to exotic places and capturing high quality photographic work. the company also resold noncommissioned photographs like the work of William Grundy. The company opened an office at 313 Oxford st.

By 1858, the company advertised a stock of 100,00 stereoscopic pictures of various subjects.

In 1859 William England traveled to the United states and captured a series of critically acclaimed imagery of the United States and Canada. By December of 1859, the firm of George M. Lawrence and Thomas Houseworth advertised that they were the sole agents in California for the sale of the London Stereoscopic co. Images. The name was once again changes to the London Stereoscopic and Photographic Company.

In 1860 the company was based at 54 Cheapside, London, with the old office at 313 Oxford Street still active. In the same year the London Stereoscopic Company opened its own branch office in the United States at 594 Broadway, New York City.

In 1862 the Company paid a fee to be able to photograph the Great International Exhibition of 1862. The imagery was a huge success.

In 1863 the company occupied 54 Cheapside and 108-110 and 118 Regent Street. William England left the company but continued to publish photographs through the company catalog under his own name.

The company sold a variety of photographic equipment from other manufacturers with the London Stereoscopic Company label. It should be noted that some of the photographic equipment was designed specifically for or by the London Stereoscope Co. It is not certain the point in which the company began to offer apparatus in addition to stereo views.

In 1875 George S. Nottag was elected alderman of the city of London by a majority of thirty votes over Sir John Bennett.

In 1877 George S. Nottag was elected sheriff.

On the 22nd March 1878 an exclusive Agreement was signed with Thomas Edison that expanded the business by commercially producing, as sole licensee, the Phonograph machine that was to be purchased by millions throughout the world.

In 1884 George Nottage was bestowed the prestigious title of The Lord Mayor of the City of London.

On the 11th April 1885, The Right Hon. George Swan Nottage died at his mansion house after a short illness at the age of 63, while he was still in office as Lord Mayor of the City of London. He left a wife Martha Christiana, a son Charles and daughter and was buried in a crypt in London's St. Paul's Cathedral.

On July 1st of 1885, Due to the death of George Nottage, The company was incorporated as the London Stereoscopic and Photographic Co. Ltd. with £90,000 in capital in 18,000 shares of £5 each. A contract was entered into by George Nottage's son, Charles George Nottage who became the managing director and Howard John Kennard who became the chairman, to make up one part of the contract and by Samuel Mark Clark as trustee of the company of the other part.

In approximately 1887 the company was advertising prints with an improved collotype process called the Photomezzotype. This was a photomechanical printing process similar to the callotype and was claimed to be unrivaled for high artistic quality. Howard J. Kennard was the chairman of the company and S. M. Clark secretary.

In 1893 Charles George Nottage completed his own book entitled "In search of a Climate", depicting thirty photomezzotype images of scenery in the sunny islands of the far pacific. In preparation fo this book he traveled to the sandwich islands and Hawaii.

In December 1884, Charles George Nottage died.

The company was dissolved in 1922.

In 2008 the company was reinvigorated and although small is currently selling a book, a unique "OWL" photographic stereoscope viewer, and a set of astronomical stereo cards.



Ref:
1875, British Journal of photography, p516
1885, July 10, English mechanic and world of science, page v
1897 - Modern English Biography, I-Q - Page 1867, by Frederic Boase
1994 A directory of London photographers 1841-1908, Pritchard, Michael. Watford: PhotoResearch. p.82
2008, encyclopedia of nineteenth-century photography, John Hannavy
2000, Pioneer photographers of the far west, Peter E. Palmquist, Thomas R. Kailbourn



Click Here for a listing of Cameras sold through the London Stereoscopic Company

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2012-04-16 04:23:36