Difference between revisions of "Perken"

From Camera-wiki.org
Jump to: navigation, search
m (Changed date of book; it's advertised in the other one, which is dated 1890 on the frontispiece)
(A bit more about Perken companies)
Line 9: Line 9:
 
}}
 
}}
 
</div>
 
</div>
The partnership of '''Lejeune and Perken''' was founded in 1852 by T. Lejeune and Louis Edmond Perken.<ref name=CD>{{Channing Dunn}} pp 72-73 and 99-101.</ref><ref>McKeown also dates the start of the firm to 1852, citing the company's later advertisements, which claim this date.</ref><ref>[http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/companies3.html#P Company information] at [http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/index.html Early Photography] state that the earliest reference found to Lejeune and Perken is from 1854, suggesting perhaps that Perken began alone.</ref> The firm, described as importers of optical instruments, and at 24 Hatton Garden, London, was dissolved at the end of 1873.<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/24056/page/311 The London Gazette, 23 January 1874 Issue 24056, p 311], at [https://www.thegazette.co.uk/ The Gazette].</ref> The business was continued as '''Perken, Son and Rayment''' (Channing & Dunn give the date of this company as 1887, a few years after Lejeune and Perken separated.<ref name=CD/> The ''London Gazette'' carried a notice stating that this partnership, described as manufacturers and importers of optical and scientific instruments, was dissolved by mutual consent at the end of 1889.<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26018/page/503 The London Gazette, 28 January 1890, Issue 26018, p 503-4].</ref> However, this seems to have been a formality, marking the transfer of the company to a new generation in the Perken family. The partnership reported as dissolved was that of Louis Edmond Perken and Frederic Louis Perken with Arthur Rayment. The ''London Gazette'' carried another notice, reporting the dissolution of Perken Son and Rayment 'by effluxion of time' (that is, the partnership agreement had run its stated course) at the end of 1899. The partnership dissolved this time was that of Frederic Louis Perken, ''Edgar Theodore'' Perken and Arthur Rayment.<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27153/page/237 The London Gazette, 12 January 1900, Issue 27153, p 237].</ref> The business was continued as '''Perken, Son and Company''', still at 99 Hatton Garden.
+
The partnership of '''Lejeune and Perken''' was founded in 1852 by T. Lejeune and Louis Edmond Perken.<ref name=CD>{{Channing Dunn}} pp 72-73 and 99-101.</ref><ref>McKeown also dates the start of the firm to 1852, citing the company's later advertisements, which claim this date.</ref><ref>[http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/companies3.html#P Company information] at [http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/index.html Early Photography] state that the earliest reference found to Lejeune and Perken is from 1854, suggesting perhaps that Perken began alone.</ref> The firm, described as importers of optical instruments, and at 24 Hatton Garden, London, was dissolved at the end of 1873.<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/24056/page/311 The London Gazette, 23 January 1874 Issue 24056, p 311], at [https://www.thegazette.co.uk/ The Gazette].</ref> The business was continued as '''Perken, Son and Rayment''' (Channing & Dunn give the date of this company as 1887, a few years after Lejeune and Perken separated.<ref name=CD/> The ''London Gazette'' carried a notice stating that this partnership, described as manufacturers and importers of optical and scientific instruments, was dissolved by mutual consent at the end of 1889.<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26018/page/503 The London Gazette, 28 January 1890, Issue 26018, p 503-4].</ref> However, this seems to have been a formality, marking the transfer of the company to a new generation in the Perken family. The partnership reported as dissolved was that of Louis Edmond Perken and Frederic Louis Perken with Arthur Rayment. The ''London Gazette'' carried another notice, reporting the dissolution of Perken Son and Rayment 'by effluxion of time' (that is, the partnership agreement had run its stated course) at the end of 1899. The partnership dissolved this time was that of Frederic Louis Perken, ''Edgar Theodore'' Perken and Arthur Rayment.<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27153/page/237 The London Gazette, 12 January 1900, Issue 27153, p 237].</ref> The business was continued as '''Perken, Son and Company''', still at 99 Hatton Garden. This company held a patent relating to thermometers;<ref>[http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/originalDocument?CC=GB&NR=191117408A&KC=A&FT=D&ND=3&date=19120725&DB=worldwide.espacenet.com&locale=en_EP British Patent 17408 of 1911], ''Improvements in or relating to dividing engines or machines for marking thermometer tubes or for the like purposes'', granted to Edgar Theodore Perken and Perken, Son & Co. Ltd., at the European Patent Office's [http://worldwide.espacenet.com/?locale=en_EP Espacenet] database.</ref> patents were filed in the 1950s by the company '''Heath, Hicks and Perken (thermometers) Ltd.''' of Eltham;<ref>[http://worldwide.espacenet.com/searchResults?ST=singleline&locale=en_EP&submitted=true&DB=worldwide.espacenet.com&query=Hicks+Perken Search results at Espacenet] including patents held by Heath, Hicks and Perken.</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/stream/b19974760M4091#page/n37/mode/2up Advertisements] in ''The Chemist and Druggist'', 26 March 1955, including one by Heath, Hicks and Perken, who use Perken's trade-name 'Optimus' in their telegram address.</ref> it seems likely that Hicks was the company of James J. Hicks, also originally of Hatton Garden.<ref>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/James_J._Hicks James J. Hicks] entry at [http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Main_Page Grace's Guide] to British Industrial History.</ref> Heath, Hicks and Perken appears to have been wound up in 1979.<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/47690/page/13797 The London Gazette], 17 November 1978, Issue 47690, p 13797 (second column), giving notice of companies that will be wound up under the Companies Act after a further three months.</ref>
  
 
Louis Edmond Perken died in 1907.<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28031/supplement/4210 The London Gazette, 18 June 1907, Issue 28031, p 4210].</ref>
 
Louis Edmond Perken died in 1907.<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28031/supplement/4210 The London Gazette, 18 June 1907, Issue 28031, p 4210].</ref>

Revision as of 23:45, 6 November 2014

The partnership of Lejeune and Perken was founded in 1852 by T. Lejeune and Louis Edmond Perken.[1][2][3] The firm, described as importers of optical instruments, and at 24 Hatton Garden, London, was dissolved at the end of 1873.[4] The business was continued as Perken, Son and Rayment (Channing & Dunn give the date of this company as 1887, a few years after Lejeune and Perken separated.[1] The London Gazette carried a notice stating that this partnership, described as manufacturers and importers of optical and scientific instruments, was dissolved by mutual consent at the end of 1889.[5] However, this seems to have been a formality, marking the transfer of the company to a new generation in the Perken family. The partnership reported as dissolved was that of Louis Edmond Perken and Frederic Louis Perken with Arthur Rayment. The London Gazette carried another notice, reporting the dissolution of Perken Son and Rayment 'by effluxion of time' (that is, the partnership agreement had run its stated course) at the end of 1899. The partnership dissolved this time was that of Frederic Louis Perken, Edgar Theodore Perken and Arthur Rayment.[6] The business was continued as Perken, Son and Company, still at 99 Hatton Garden. This company held a patent relating to thermometers;[7] patents were filed in the 1950s by the company Heath, Hicks and Perken (thermometers) Ltd. of Eltham;[8][9] it seems likely that Hicks was the company of James J. Hicks, also originally of Hatton Garden.[10] Heath, Hicks and Perken appears to have been wound up in 1979.[11]

Louis Edmond Perken died in 1907.[12]

Originally just an importer, the company became a maker of cameras, lenses and other photographic equipment, including studio and darkroom apparatus. The company also made magic lanterns and accessories, telescopes, binoculars, surveying and other scientific equipment.[13]

The company used the brand name Optimus for a great many of its products, including cameras, lenses and magic lanterns.

Lenses

  • 7" × 5" "Optimus"
  • Rapid Euryscope 5" × 4" "Optimus"


British companies
Adams & Co. | Agilux | Aldis | APeM | Aptus | Artima | Barnet Ensign | Beard | Beck | Benetfink‎ | Billcliff | Boots | British Ferrotype | Butcher | Chapman | Cooke | Corfield | Coronet | Dallmeyer | Dekko | De Vere | Dixons | Dollond | Elliott | Gandolfi | Gnome | Griffiths | G. Hare | Houghtons | Houghton-Butcher | Hunter | Ilford | Jackson | Johnson | Kentmere | Kershaw-Soho | Kodak Ltd. | Lancaster | Lejeune and Perken | Lizars | London & Paris Optic & Clock Company | Marion | Marlow | Meagher | MPP | Neville | Newman & Guardia | Pearson and Denham | Perken, Son and Company | Perken, Son & Rayment | Photopia | Purma | Reid & Sigrist | Reynolds and Branson | Ross | Ross Ensign | Sanderson | Sands & Hunter | Shackman | Shew | Soho | Standard Cameras Ltd | Taylor-Hobson | Thornton-Pickard | Underwood | United | Watkins | Watson | Wynne's Infallible | Wray


Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Channing, Norman and Dunn, Mike. British Camera Makers. An A-Z Guide to Companies and Products. London : Parkland Designs, 1996. ISBN 0-9524630-0-8 pp 72-73 and 99-101.
  2. McKeown also dates the start of the firm to 1852, citing the company's later advertisements, which claim this date.
  3. Company information at Early Photography state that the earliest reference found to Lejeune and Perken is from 1854, suggesting perhaps that Perken began alone.
  4. The London Gazette, 23 January 1874 Issue 24056, p 311, at The Gazette.
  5. The London Gazette, 28 January 1890, Issue 26018, p 503-4.
  6. The London Gazette, 12 January 1900, Issue 27153, p 237.
  7. British Patent 17408 of 1911, Improvements in or relating to dividing engines or machines for marking thermometer tubes or for the like purposes, granted to Edgar Theodore Perken and Perken, Son & Co. Ltd., at the European Patent Office's Espacenet database.
  8. Search results at Espacenet including patents held by Heath, Hicks and Perken.
  9. Advertisements in The Chemist and Druggist, 26 March 1955, including one by Heath, Hicks and Perken, who use Perken's trade-name 'Optimus' in their telegram address.
  10. James J. Hicks entry at Grace's Guide to British Industrial History.
  11. The London Gazette, 17 November 1978, Issue 47690, p 13797 (second column), giving notice of companies that will be wound up under the Companies Act after a further three months.
  12. The London Gazette, 18 June 1907, Issue 28031, p 4210.
  13. Beginner's Guide to Photography (about 1890) by 'A Fellow of the Chemical Society' and published by Perken, Son & Rayment, at The Internet Archive. Much of this short book (starting page 107) is advertisements for the company's products.


Links