Original Historical Ephemera

Manhattan Optical Company - Cresskill, New Jersey

Manufacturer of Cameras, Tripods, Photographic Lenses

Florograph, Collodion, and Geletin photography

Antique graphic advertising letterhead, signed 'Harwood'

likly J.C. Harwood, and dated 1895

The Manhattan Optical Company was a prominent manufacturer of optical equipment in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in the 1870s, Manhattan Optical became one of the pioneering American firms in the field of photographic and optical technology, competing with European manufacturers who had dominated the market for cameras and precision lenses.

In the 1890s, the company was known for its "Manhattan Magazine Camera," a popular model at the time, and it developed a range of products that included stereoscopes and various types of field lenses.

In 1895, Manhattan Optical merged with Gundlach Optical Company of Rochester, New York, forming Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Company, with manufacturing moving to Rochester.

Measures 8.5 x 11 inches, suitable for framing

Fair condition, with period fold creases and small edge tears

Please see images