Re: Who invented the Cirkut camera?

[Richard Schneider <richard.schneider@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thank you for referring to the Panorama article, Jeff. I should add however, that the Johnston Patent from 1904 probably does not mark the beginning of the Cirkut Age. In the patent, Mr. Johnston writes that he has "invented new and useful Improvements to Panoramic Cameras".  The use of the word "improvements" indicates that something, perhaps many things, preceded the 1904 patent. 

If we look back in the photographic timeline, we can mark 1888 as the year flexible film was invented by Hannibal Goodwin and marketed by Eastman Kodak. Of course, cameras on the order of the Cirkut need flexible film, so we are looking at the period of between 1888 and 1904 as the period where Cirkut technology was born. I would speculate that several "embryonic" Cirkut-type cameras were patented during this time and could be researched if one had the time and the Patent numbers. 

The Patent Office unfortunately, does not have an all-encompassing index of inventions ( the bad news ), but they did publish such an index on a yearly basis ( the good news ). Therefore, one could start in 1888 and look up all the patents for photographic cameras filed each year and then distill out the panoramic ones from there. ( Usually, but not always, a patent for panoramic cameras will include the word "panoramic" ). The indexes and the patent applications are in the custody of the National Archives ( College Park, MD ) and probably the Patent Office as well. I would do this on my own if I had the time. 

Another wrinkle is the possibility that some key inventions leading up to the Cirkut Camera were not patented. Last year Bill McBride and myself went to a museum in Baltimore trying to research Mr. Frederick Mueller who had invented ( and patented ) a panoramic camera which shot circular images ( this image was featured in the April 1998 issue of Panorama ). We didn't find that particular camera among their artifacts, but we did find what appeared to be a one-of-a-kind rotational panoramic camera that shot 10" film in which the film feed and take-up drum were an integral part of the camera ( no separate film back ). So there are lots of variables in the quest ! Mr. Mueller's invention? Who knows...

Anyway, happy hunting to those who venture forth to find "Who Invented the Cirkut Camera" !  

Regards,

Richard