Revere Camera Company

Revere Camera Company was an American photographic-equipment manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois. Its roots went back to a business established by Ukrainian immigrant Samuel Briskin in 1920 as the Excel Auto Radiator Company. Although the original enterprise was associated with automobile components, the Revere name became prominent through low-cost amateur motion-picture equipment introduced before and during the consumer 8 mm film era. The company began producing budget 8 mm movie cameras in 1939 through a subsidiary operated by members of Briskin's family, including his sons. Products such as the Revere 88 movie camera and Revere 85 8 mm projector helped establish the company as a supplier to households, hobbyists, and amateur filmmakers. The motion-picture business was subsequently consolidated into the Excel Auto Radiator organization, which changed its name to Revere Camera Company. The Revere name was reportedly selected in reference to Revere Copper Company. During the 1950s, Revere became one of the largest United States manufacturers of small movie cameras, ranking second nationally according to the company's historical account. Its market position was built on accessible pricing and relatively straightforward equipment aimed at consumers rather than professional studios. The brand became closely associated with budget cameras. Revere also manufactured tape recorders beginning in the early 1950s, but that category remained a minor part of its overall business. To support its camera operations, Revere acquired Wollensak Optical Company of New Jersey, a major supplier of lenses and shutters. Wollensak-branded products that followed were mechanically similar to standard Revere models but generally offered improved lenses, more elaborate styling, and higher prices. This relationship allowed the business to address both value-oriented and more premium segments within the amateur camera market. The company expanded its Chicago facilities in November 1952 by purchasing the nearby Atwell Building at 221 East Cullerton Street. The building, like Revere's original facility at 320 East 21st Street, had been designed by architect Alfred S. Alschuler. Revere used machinery on four of the building's eight floors, reflecting the scale of its manufacturing activity during the postwar period. Beyond cameras and recording equipment, Revere produced the Revere-O-Matic rotary grinding hand tool, reportedly beginning in the 1950s. The RG-1 model operated at 15,000 revolutions per minute and used accessories compatible with Dremel tools. This product included a table mount and an object-duplication arrangement, showing that the company also pursued small electrical tools related to precision work. In 1960, Samuel Briskin was diagnosed with inoperable cancer and sold Revere Camera Company to 3M for $17 million. The transaction marked the end of the company as an independent Briskin-controlled business. Available reference material does not establish the complete subsequent corporate history, the exact duration of the Revere brand under 3M, or a definitive formal dissolution date. Revere is principally remembered for making affordable consumer 8 mm movie equipment and for its connection with Wollensak optical products.

Revere Camera Company's history began with Samuel Briskin, a Ukrainian immigrant who established the Excel Auto Radiator Company in Chicago in 1920. The original manufacturing facility stood at 320 East 21st Street and was designed by Alfred S. Alschuler. The enterprise later diversified beyond automotive-related production through a subsidiary run by Briskin's sons. That subsidiary entered the amateur motion-picture market in 1939, producing inexpensive 8 mm cameras and projectors. The motion-picture operation became associated with the Revere name and was eventually merged back into the Excel Auto Radiator organization. The combined business then adopted the name Revere Camera Company. The name was derived from Revere Copper Company rather than from a personal name. Revere's early camera products, including the Revere 88 movie camera and Revere 85 8 mm projector, targeted consumers who wanted to make or show home movies without buying professional equipment. The postwar period was the company's most important growth phase. By the 1950s, Revere was described as the second-largest American producer of small movie cameras. Its reputation rested on budget pricing and broad availability. The brand's position in the value segment was complemented by its acquisition of Wollensak Optical Company, a New Jersey supplier of lenses and shutters. Wollensak models used designs mechanically close to Revere's standard products but were differentiated through upgraded lenses, more decorative housings, and premium pricing. Revere expanded its physical presence in Chicago in November 1952 when it purchased the Atwell Building at 221 East Cullerton Street. Alschuler had also designed this building. Manufacturing machinery occupied four of its eight floors, indicating that Revere maintained a substantial local production operation. The company also entered tape recorders in the early 1950s, although that line did not become a major contributor to its output. The company pursued additional diversification with the Revere-O-Matic rotary grinding hand tool. The RG-1 model was a 0.55-ampere device rated at 15,000 revolutions per minute. Its accessories were compatible with Dremel tools, and the standard package included a table mount and a system for duplicating objects. This product extended Revere's manufacturing activities into compact powered tools but did not displace cameras as the company's defining category. In 1960, Briskin's diagnosis of inoperable cancer preceded the sale of the company to 3M for $17 million. The acquisition ended the period in which Revere operated under its founding ownership. The available reference does not provide a complete account of 3M's later brand management, product discontinuations, or the date on which Revere ceased operating as a distinct business. Consequently, the company's current corporate status is best treated as unknown rather than definitively defunct.

• 1960

  Sale to 3M

  [1]Revere Camera Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Samuel Briskin sold the company to 3M for $17 million following his diagnosis of inoperable cancer.

• 1952

  Atwell Building acquired

  [1]Revere Camera Companyen.wikipedia.org

  In November, Revere purchased the nearby Atwell Building at 221 East Cullerton Street in Chicago and installed machinery on four floors.

• 1939

  Entry into 8 mm motion-picture equipment

  [1]Revere Camera Companyen.wikipedia.org

  A Briskin family-operated subsidiary began making budget 8 mm movie cameras and projectors, including the Revere 88 and Revere 85.

• 1920

  Excel Auto Radiator Company established

  [1]Revere Camera Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Samuel Briskin established the Chicago business that later developed into Revere Camera Company.

Value-oriented consumer imaging equipment, especially affordable 8 mm movie cameras and projectors, with adjacent optical, recording, and small-tool products.

• 8 mm movie camera

  Revere 88 Movie Camera

  The Revere 88 was one of the company's budget-oriented 8 mm movie cameras. It represented Revere's focus on bringing amateur motion-picture filming to household users through relatively accessible equipment rather than professional studio systems. The model is part of the product family that established Revere as a major American supplier of small movie cameras.

• 8 mm film projector

  Revere 85 8 mm Projector

  The Revere 85 was an 8 mm projector intended for viewing amateur films. It complemented Revere's cameras by supporting the home-movie cycle of recording and playback. The model illustrates the company's effort to serve consumers with an integrated range of accessible motion-picture products.

• Camera lenses, shutters, and cameras

  Wollensak camera and optical models

  After Revere acquired Wollensak Optical Company, Wollensak-branded products appeared with mechanical similarities to standard Revere models. They were differentiated by better lenses, more styled casings, and premium pricing, allowing the combined business to address customers seeking an upgraded alternative to Revere's budget equipment.

• Tape recorder · 1950

  Revere tape recorders

  Revere began producing tape recorders in the early 1950s. The category represented a diversification into consumer recording equipment, but it remained a comparatively minor part of the company's total production and did not become as central to the brand's identity as 8 mm cameras.

• Rotary grinding hand tool

  Revere-O-Matic RG-1

  The Revere-O-Matic RG-1 was a 0.55-ampere rotary grinding tool operating at 15,000 revolutions per minute. Its collet accessories were compatible with Dremel tools. The standard product included a table mount and an object-duplication system, making it a notable example of Revere's diversification into compact precision tools.

• 1960

  Sale of Revere Camera Company to 3MM&A

  Background

  Samuel Briskin was diagnosed with inoperable cancer while Revere was an established manufacturer of consumer movie cameras and related equipment.

  Action taken

  Briskin sold the company to 3M for $17 million.

  Aftermath

  The transaction ended the company's independent Briskin ownership. The available reference does not establish the full subsequent history of the Revere brand under 3M.

  Acquisition price. $17 million (1960)

  Source

• 1960

  Revere Camera Company sold to 3M[1]Revere Camera Companyen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Other

  Samuel Briskin sold Revere Camera Company to 3M for $17 million after being diagnosed with inoperable cancer.

1. 1Revere Camera Companyen.wikipedia.org