August Semmendinger

August Semmendinger
August Semmendinger, c.1865
Born 1820
Died August 6, 1885
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Nationality German
Citizenship American
Occupation Photographic inventor

August Semmendinger (1820 – August 6, 1885) was a manufacturer of photographic apparatuses and the inventor of the Excelsior Wet Plate Camera. Semmendinger first made his cameras in New York City. The second factory where he built his cameras was located in Fort Lee, New Jersey.[1]

Early life

August Semmendinger was born in 1820. Records indicate he emigrated to the United States from Bad Urach, Germany, arriving in the United States on July 6, 1849 aboard a ship named Columbia which had embarked from Bremen, Germany.

Along with August was Magdalene Semmendinger, his wife and his one-year-old baby, a daughter, Alsoine Semmendinger.

After arriving in the United States, August lived in Lower Manhattan at 9 Elizabeth Street as a cabinetmaker.[2] In 1855-6 he moved two blocks over to 40 Forsyth Street where his occupation is listed as a box maker.[3] Shortly thereafter, August moved to 144 Elizabeth Street where he began to manufacture cameras.[4]

Career

An Excelsior Wet Plate Camera made in Fort Lee, New Jersey.

Semmendinger began making cameras in 1859 and claimed to be the first to manufacture "photographic apparatus".[5] Semmendinger made his cameras in New York City at this time at Nos. 410 & 412 West 16th Street.

Semmendinger was also an early camera designer. He was awarded three United States patents related to camera making, the first on February 21, 1860, August, Patent No. 27,241, for a "Photographic Apparatus";[6] the second on August 7, 1860, Patent No. 29,523, for an invention simply described as a "Camera."

By the early 1870s, Semmendinger moved his family and business to New Jersey and purchased land just across the Hudson River in Fort Lee. Here, Semmendinger was awarded his third United States Patent, No. 145,020, for Photographic Plate-Holders. It is believed that this patent is for what Semmendinger titled his "Celebrated Silver Double Corners."[5]

Semmendinger's fourth patent was for "Camera-Stands", issued on March 31, 1874 (Patent No. 149,255). His factory, on Gerome Avenue (formerly Eickhoff or Ichoff Street), was a leading Fort Lee manufacturing industry employer by 1882.[7][8][9]

Semmendinger's "Mammoth plate" wet-collodion camera saw use in remote landscape photography despite its weight and that of the glass plates it used. It was considered a "monster".[10] Semmenndinger's idea of utilizing that portion of the camera just under the lens and converting it into a sort of cupboard was thought novel.[11]

Family

Semmendinger married Magdalene Kinney (b. c. 1829) and they had four children: Theodore, Alvina, Roland, and Guido.

Death

August Semmendinger died in Fort Lee, New Jersey on August 6, 1885.[12] His sons carried on the photography business after his death.[12][13]

Further reading

Advertisements for Semmendinger products can be found in these primary sources (listed in chronological order)

  • The Photographic Times (December 1873)
  • Towler, J. (1879): The Silver Sunbeam: A Practical and Theoretical Text-Book on Sun Drawing and Photographic Printing pg. 678.
  • Ourdan, J.P. (1880): The Art of Retouching (Burrows & Colton) pg 154.
  • Taylor, J. Traill (editor) (1881): The Photographic Times and American Photographer pg. 343.
  • Abney, Captain W. De W. (1883) : Photography With Emulsions pg. 33

References

  1. ↑ Walzl, Richard (1872). The Photographer's Friend: A Practical, Independent Magazine, Devoted to the Photographic Art Volume 2. p. 226. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  2. ↑ Rode, Charles; Doggett, John. The New York City Directory, 1854–1855. New York: Doggett Rode. p. 637. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  3. ↑ Trow, John Fowler (1857). Trow's New York city directory. New York, J.F. Trow. p. 744. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  4. ↑ The New York State Business Directory. Sampson, Davenport Co. 1867. p. 162. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  5. 1 2 Ourdan, J. P. (1880). The Art of Retouching. New York: Burrows and Colton. p. 155. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  6. ↑ "Operations of the Patent Office" (Vol. XV, No. 2, 191). Washington, D.C.: W.D. Wallach. Evening Star. February 25, 1860. p. 1. Retrieved 11 April 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Bergen County Panorama. 1941. p. 104.
  8. ↑ Clayton, W. Woodford; Nelson, William (1882). History of Bergen and Passaic Counties, New Jersey. Everts Peck. p. 253. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  9. ↑ Bertram, Lucille (2004) Images of America: Fort Lee pg. 25
  10. ↑ Fowler, Don D. (1989) The Western Photographs of John K. Hillers: Myself in the Water pg. 20
  11. ↑ Traill, Taylor, J (1881). "Exhitibs-Fourth Notice". The Photographic Times and American Photographer. p. 343. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  12. 1 2 Wilson, Edward L. (July 3, 1886). The Philadelphia Photographer (277 ed.). p. 424.
  13. ↑ Chandler, Charles F; Elliott, Arthur H (1886). Anthony's Photographic Bulletin. New York: E. & H. T. Anthony & Company. p. 357. Retrieved 16 March 2017.

Patents

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