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A partnership between Benjamin West Kilburn and his brother Edward Kilburn of Littleton, New Hampshire (USA) which founded in 1865. One of the most significant of the American photographers and publishers of stereo cards in the nineteenth century. In 1879 they patented the "warped" or "curved" stereocard which enhanced the 3D effect. In 1908 James M, Davis obtained the Kilburn negatives and later resold them to Keystone.
Stereographs project
Business locations
Littleton, NH, US
[6-0] [Edward and Benjamin Kilburn]
"Photographed and Published by...";
longest-lived co.; started 65; 69 their plant
was largest in the country; Edward, dag'typist
till 65, then print technician; retired 77.
Benjamin was photographer; D. 09. James L.
Davis took over some distribution in 90s.
Listed in Littleton 65-09. Initial coverage of
NH area; broadened into New England, gradually
world-wide. Issued ~17,500 serially-numbered
views. Produced some very rare lantern slides
and SI formats. Ben took views initially; about
77 became primarily administrator; bought &
pirated views & used staff photogs. The fate of
the negs. is obscure; they passed first to James
M. Davis who'd been earlier involved with the
Kilburn Co. in some capacity, poss. only as
distributor. Very rarely cards are seen
inscribed "Published by W.F. Burns & Co.,
successors to B.W. Kilburn & Co. and James M.
Davis". An address of St. Louis, Mo., is given;
nothing is known about this operation at all. Eventually they passed to the Keystone View
Company. Outlets for views from time to time
were Davis, Bates of Boston, Dodge, Collier &
Perkins of Boston and Whiting Bros. of NY all of
whom listed themselves sole agents. SEE NSA
Monograph & view listing; exc. book by Linda
McShane.
T.K. Treadwell & William C. Darrah (Compiled by), Wolfgang, Sell (Updated by), 11/28/2003, Photographers of the United States of America, (National Stereoscopic Association) |
| Credit: National Stereoscopic Association with corrections and additions by Alan Griffiths and others. |
| NOTE: You are probably here because you have a stereograph to identify. Please email good quality copies of the front and back to alan@luminous-lint.com so we can create reference collections for all. |
Preparing biographies
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Family history
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