Robert H. Ingersoll & Bro., New York
Shure Shot Camera, 1892-1899?
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The Shure Shot is a tiny dovetailed wooden box camera marketed
to children in the 1890s. There is much that is still unknown
about this camera.
Ingersoll was famous for inventing the 'Yankee Dollar Watch' in 1892 and for selling millions of low-cost (often $1.00) items to consumers throughout the 1890s and 1900s. It is likely that he did not manufacture the Shure Shot camera, but I've found no records yet to prove that. The 1892-1899? dates of manufacture for the Shure Shot are only an educated guess at this point. An 1899 magazine advertisement (below) shows a leather-covered version of the Shure Shot; no confirmed examples are known of this camera at this point. Both Shure Shot models shown above took 2 x 2 inch dry plates which were loaded individually in a darkroom. The larger of the two cameras required a single plateholder, the smaller version did not use one. Plates were placed in the camera and held in place by a spring-like piece of metal. |
It is a reasonable guess that the two cameras above were not sold at the same time, but rather the larger model was a later, "improved" model. Also worth mentioning is that this larger version is not the one referenced by McKeown's camera guide; in fact, only three Shure Shots in this size are currently known to exist. There is also a similar camera, the Regal, which took a larger plate size, but is clearly a close relative of the Shure Shot. The shutter on each camera is a crude sector variety, the lens, simple meniscus. This was clearly not a camera that cost much to manufacture. Although advertisements have been found in 1897 and 1899 magazines, an 1892 Ingersoll catalog also makes reference to a 'Dollar Camera Outfit' which may be the Shure Shot. Further confusing things today, the Ansco Corporation made a simple metal box camera in 1932 and again in 1948 that was called the "Shur Shot". This camera is not related in any way to Ingersoll's original "Shure Shot". And finally, worth mentioning is that Ingersoll's company eventually went on to become the Timex Watch company. |
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