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| Tower 120 Flash. Picture by John Kratz. (Image rights)
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| Tower 57. Picture by Jwinfred. (Image rights)
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| Tower Camflash 127. Picture by John Kratz. (Image rights)
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| Tower Snappy. Picture by Eduardo Urdangaray.
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Sears is the most famous mail order house in the world since its Chicago building Sears Tower was the highest in the world for a certain period. In the U.S.A. it was the greatest mail-order and retail vendor of consumer goods. It was founded by Richard W. Sears in 1886. It started as reseller of watches in North Redwood, Minnesota. In 1887 Sears moved to Chicago and employed Alvah C. Roebuck as watch- and toolmaker. In 1893 Roebuck became partner in the company which then was renamed Sears, Roebuck & Co.. Like other great mail-order houses Sears had a house-brand for cameras, the Tower cameras which were all OEM products, made by different renowned camera makers of several countries.
Distributed cameras
| original camera |
sold as
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| Kewpie Kamera box camera 3.25x5.25 |
Sears 3A (Kodak V122 film)
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| Bilora Bella |
Tower 5 (127 film)
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| Brownie type box - Germany (Bilora) |
Tower 7 (120 film)
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| Mfr? Germany |
Tower 8 (box camera)
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| Mamiya RF 48mm f:2.8 coated |
Tower 10A
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| Mamiya RF |
Tower 10B
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| 16mm submini spy cam |
Tower 16
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| Mamiya 48mm f/2 |
Tower 18B
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| Olympus Ace E |
Tower 19
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| Olympus 35-S f2.8 |
Tower ?
|
| Mamiya RF 48mm f/1.7 |
Tower 20B
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| Asahiflex IIA |
Tower 22
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| Asahiflex IA and Asahiflex IIB |
Tower 23
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| Asahiflex IIB |
Tower 24
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| Airesflex (Nikkor lens) |
Tower 25 TLR
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| Asahi Pentax (original) and Pentax S |
Tower 26 SLR
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| Asahi Pentax K |
Tower 29 SLR
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| Photina Reflex IIIb from Photavit-Werk GmbH, Nurnberg, Germany |
Tower 30 TLR
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| Mamiya Prismat NP Mamiya-Sekor lens, Exakta/Topcon mnt? |
Tower 32B (c.1963)
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| Braun Paxette Reflex |
Tower 33 Reflex
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| Braun |
Tower 34 Reflex
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| Ansco |
Tower 34 box camera (?)
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| Mamiya SLR |
Tower 37
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| Mamiya Automatic 35 EEF |
Tower 39 - very odd rectangular box with large bulb flash, also automatic
|
| Mamiya Automatic 35 EEF |
Sears 41 - very odd as Tower 39 (c.1961)
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| Toyoca-44 |
Tower 44
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| Halma 44 |
Tower 44B Super Matic TLR
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| Nicca III-S |
Tower 35
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| Nicca 5L f/2 |
Tower 45
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| Nicca f/1.4 |
Tower 46
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| Iloca Rapid |
Tower 50
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| ? Steinheil Cassar lens 50mm f/2.8 made in Germany |
Tower 51 (not folding, 35mm)
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| Iloca Rapid B, Other sources indicate USC Rollex ca. 1950 |
Tower 51 (120 folding)
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| Iloca Rapid IIL |
Tower 52
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| PAX M4(?) |
Tower 55
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| Pax (Yamato) Same as Ruby without rf Japan, Color Luna Lens 45mm f3.5 |
Tower 55B
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| Samoca 35 M-28 (AKA Hanimex A35) |
Tower 57
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| Samoca LE |
Tower 57A
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| Ising Pucky I |
Tower 120 Flash
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| Busch 4x5 Pressman |
Tower 4×5 Pressman
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| Mamiya ?? |
Tower 127
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| Ricoh 126 C Automatic |
Sears Easi-Load FC 600
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| Mamiya ??? |
Tower Automatic 35
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| Nicca III |
Tower Type 3
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| Nicca, Leotax? |
Tower Type 3S
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| Braun Super Colorette |
Tower Colorette (RF)
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| Bilora Bella |
Tower Synchroflash
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| made in USA (mfr?) |
Tower Skipper (127 brownie box size)
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| Imperial Savoy |
Tower Snappy
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| Imperial similar to Debonair |
Tower Companion 1960
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| Iloca ?? |
Tower Stereo
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| Ansco Marvel S-20 brownie type box |
Made for, sold by Sears
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| Reflecta |
Trumpfreflex
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| Walz |
Sears Model 65 (Perhaps Tower Reflex 65 meter) TLR also Tower 64, no meter
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| Mamiya |
Tower Camflash 127 (see also: Tower,Sears 39)
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| ??? |
Sears Model 600 Easi load FC (flash Cube) Instamatic
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| Ricoh XR-6 |
Sears KS-1
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Several Tower cameras were also made by Bilora. Sears lenses for SLRs were made by Ricoh. Conley was a partner of Sears & Roebuck. In 1924 Conley was owned by Sears, and bought Seneca. But the Seneca brand disappeared in 1926. In 1980 Sears, Roebuck and Co. was restructured and rebranded to Sears Merchandise Group.
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