Rochester Optical Co.
W.H. Walker & Co., Rochester, NY, 1881-1883
Rochester Optical Co., Rochester, NY, 1883-1899
Rochester Camera Mfg. Co., Rochester, NY, 1891-1895
Rochester Camera Co., Rochester, NY, 1895-1897
Rochester Camera & Supply Co., Rochester, NY, 1897-1899
Rochester Optical & Camera Co., Rochester, NY, 1899-1904
Rochester Optical Co., Rochester, NY, 1903-1907
Rochester Optical Division, EKC, 1907-1917
Rochester Optical Department, EKC, 1918-1922
In 1899, the Western Camera Mfg. Co., Monroe & Gennert (the successor of the Monroe Camera Co., Rochester, NY; 1897-1899) and the G. Gennert Co., NY). the Ray Camera Co., Rochester, NY, Rochester Camera & Supply Co., Rochester, NY, and Rochester Optical Co. merged to form Rochester Optical & Camera. A complete history of the Rochester companies can be found at http://www.nwmangum.com/Kodak/Rochester.html
The companies represented on this page were many, and are not in all cases serial re-organizations, as on other pages. They all eventually merged into the Rochester Optical that was bought by EKC in 1907, however, and often their ties were close and their view cameras were similar. Most extant view cameras were manufactured by Rochester Optical Co. (either one) or Rochester Camera Mfg. Co. Companies such as Monroe and Ray specialized in leather-covered hand and stand cameras.
