HOPKINS' NEW PNEUMATIC PHOTO SHUTTER

Marketed by C.E. Hopkins, Brooklyn, New York 1891 - 1897

Hopkins' New Pneumatic Photo Shutter or "Pneumo" Shutter as featured in advertisements, was marketed through C.E. Hopkins of Brooklyn, New York. Advertised in Scovill's The American Annual of Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for 1891 as "Hopkins New Pneumatic Photo Shutter", this is the name we've deferred to in the title. However, we'll use the names "Pneumo" Shutter or Hopkins Shutter for brevity's sake, and as we'll see, the shutter would be marketed under yet another name.

Clarence Edward Hopkins (1864-1935) established his photographic supply house in Brooklyn by 1891. According to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle for Thursday, December 10, 1891, "The C.E. Hopkins company of Brooklyn was incorporated yesterday at Albany to carry on the business of manufacturing and dealing in articles appertaining to photographing and photographic supplies. The capital stock is $20,000 consisting of shares of $25 each, and the directors are Clarence E. Hopkins, Edward R. Hopkins, Josephine B. Hopkins and John Buys." Per The American Journal of Photography, Volume XII, No. 38 for June, 1891, Hopkins exhibited (possibly formally introducing) the "Pneumo" Shutter at a meeting of the Photographic Society of Philadelphia held on May 13, 1891. The journal's report stated that Hopkins "exhibited a new shutter, called the "Pneumo". The shutter, which was of the rotary type, could be placed either outside or inside the lens, and instantaneous or time exposures could be made at will. He claimed there was nothing liable to break or get out of order, and it was sold for a very low price." Although C.E. Hopkins cited "manufacturer" in some of his advertisements, and appears to have been directly involved in the production of photographic papers, conjecture exists as to whether his firm actually built the Hopkins Shutter.

The shutter was actually designed by Louis Prosch, Jr., with Patent No. 447,902 having been granted to him on March 10, 1891. Louis Prosch, Jr. is believed to have worked in the Prosch factory and to have been related to the Prosch Manufacturing Company family of shutter makers, although his connection to them is not currently established. The Conkling-Prosch Family by Thomas W. Prosch, a family history published in 1909, appears to make no mention of Louis Prosch, Jr.

Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Hopkins' Shutter, with its pattern-finished brass casing and nickel-plated fittings, was sold in at least three sizes: 4x5, 5x8 and 8x10. Being spring-powered, the shutter had to be manually cocked for each exposure. To cycle the action, the cocking arm is first unlocked with a small sliding release button near the center (which is moved to the left and held there), allowing the cocking arm to be moved counterclockwise in its slot. When it reaches the end of its travel, the arm is then locked in place with the release lever. The shutter is fired by using the pneumatic release cylinder or by simply moving the release lever to permit the cocking arm to move clockwise.

It's interesting to note, that the image used in Scovill's The American Annual of Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for 1891, when rotated, reflects the "Pneumo" Shutter as positioned in the gallery photo above:

From Scovill's The American Annual of Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for 1891

Image rotated to depict the "Pneumo" Shutter, as seen in the example at top

As depicted in the ad engraving and the "Pneumo" Shutter example above, the "Pneumo" name is located on the left side of the shutter's casing, with the pneumatic release valve located on the right side.

The "Pneumo" Shutter, as seen in the above gallery photo and just below, is marked "Pneumo" with Serial No. 749 and "Pat. Mar. 10"91". It has a casing diameter of 4" and a lens mount diameter of 1-7/8":

The shutter has also been seen in versions unmarked as to name, but still exhibiting a 3-digit serial number and the same "Pat. Mar. 10"91" stamping. This unmarked version with Serial No. 854 has a casing diameter of 4-1/2" and a lens mount diameter of 2-3/8". The original screw clamp band and screw are missing:

This second unmarked version with Serial No. 364 has a casing diameter of 4" and a lens mount diameter of 1-7/8":

These two unmarked shutters are shown side-by-side below, to illustrate the differences in their sizes and the styling finishes found on their casings:

Serial No. 854 Serial No. 364

Another extremely significant difference, between the "Pneumo" Shutter and these unmarked shutters, is that both unmarked shutters were manufactured with the design in reverse. Note the position of the pneumatic release valve and its associated linkage on each version:

"Pneumo" Shutter Unmarked Shutter

The reason for this manufacturing difference is unknown. However, a brief internet search revealed other unmarked Hopkins Shutters that were found to exhibit the same reversed design. This web page will be updated as more examples come to light, towards confirming or re-evaluating this trend.

The Hopkins Shutter was also sold as R.D. Gray's "Marvel" Shutter. The Marvel Shutter shown here is an example of an inter-lens mounting, versus the "Pneumo" and the two unmarked examples featured here which mount to the front of the lens. This shutter has a casing diameter of 3-1/8", a barrel diameter of 1-5/8" and a flange outer diameter of 2-5/8". It's marked "Marvel" and "R.D. Gray, New York, No. 5, 2676 (Gray's serial number):

The "Marvel" Shutter's back is stamped with Serial No. 177 and "Pat. Ap'd. For" indicating that its manufacture preceded the patent's March 10, 1891 issuance:

Another "Marvel" No.5 with Serial No. 859 and the March 10, 1891 patent date. This example continues R.D. Gray's serialization with #4721.

With the application for Patent No. 447,902 having been filed on August 20, 1890, and at least 77 shutters having been manufactured before the issuance of the patent (if serial numbers started with #100) or 177 shutters (if serial numbers started with #1), Hopkins' Shutter was most likely in production by late 1890 and certainly well in advance of its exhibition at the Photographic Society of Philadelphia meeting on May 13, 1891.

It's also interesting to note that a George M. Hopkins witnessed the patent application for Cyrus Prosch's November 2, 1886 Patent No. 352,098 for a "Shutter for Photographic Cameras" (Prosch's Duplex Shutter). It's unknown whether George M. Hopkins was related to Clarence Edward Hopkins. However, a George M. Hopkins did publish a series of articles in The Scientific American on various topics, three of which were photographic related: one titled "A Simple Camera Shutter" on March 30, 1895, one titled "A Simple Camera Shutter" on March 31, 1906 and one titled "A Convenient Camera" on March 10, 1906. If both George and Clarence Hopkins are related or otherwise connected, it could help to explain more regarding Louis Prosch, Jr.'s relationship to the Prosch family and Prosch Manufacturing, to C.E. Hopkins, to R.D. Gray's involvement with the "Marvel" Shutter and to establish who actually manufactured the Hopkins Shutter.

Also of note, in The St. Louis and Canadian Photographer, Volume XV. New Series Volume IX, 1891, an announcement was made regarding C.E. Hopkins, Successor to Bradfisch & Hopkins, Brooklyn, N.Y., October 28, 1891. Indication was made that the firm of Bradfisch & Hopkins was dissolved by mutual consent, with Louis Bradfisch withdrawing and Clarence E. Hopkins acquired all of the assets and assuming all the liabilities of the firm. The statement continues that Hopkins made improvements to the factory's machinery and methods, further improving the quality of Hopkins' photographic papers. This indicates Hopkins had interest in other firms with manufacturing capacity, that could have been drawn upon to produce other photographic goods.

Advertisements for sensitized paper and other photographic supplies from C.E. Hopkins can be found in Scovill's The American Annual of Photography and Photographic Times Almanac for 1893 and 1894, as well as in Anthony's International Annual of Anthony's Photographic Bulletin, Volume 7, 1895. It's unknown whether Hopkins' Shutter was still being offered by that time. No other ads for Hopkins' "Pneumo" Shutter have been found beyond 1891, and ads for the C.E. Hopkins company seem to trail off after 1895.

The "Marvel" Shutter, however, still appeared in Montgomery Ward's Catalogue "G" 1897 Photographic Apparatus and Materials. In all likelihood, Hopkins' Shutter along with the Marvel, were no longer being produced by 1896 (or perhaps even earlier), being offered as new old stock by Montgomery Ward and possibly other discounters. R.D. Gray, which had been established in 1882, would continue to offer their lenses through at least 1899.

While the late 1880's and early 1890's saw a number of designs for front-of-the-lens shutters and inter-lens shutters that were retrofitted within a lens' barrel, relatively few were ever produced and even fewer have survived. Hopkins' New Pneumatic Photo Shutter, whether under the guise of the "Pneumo" Shutter, the "Marvel" Shutter or unmarked as to name, is rarely seen today.