Perken

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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.

Louis Edmond Perken died in 1907.[7]

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.[8]

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. The London Gazette, 18 June 1907, Issue 28031, p 4210.
  8. Beginner's Guide to Photography (about 1891) 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.


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